Poems by Emily Dickinson

Studio 360

Probably no writer spent more time in a room of her own than Emily Dickinson. In her 20s, she stopped socializing, and by middle age, Dickinson hardly ever left the family home in Amherst, Massachusetts. Even there, nobody knew that one of America’s greatest poets was at work upstairs. In one poem, Dickinson wonders if loneliness is “the maker of the soul.” Jennifer van Dyck reads.

Are you with The World?

The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.