Open Me Carefully

Abstract

Throughout her life, Emily Dickinson wrote nearly 1,800 poems, many of which are known and cherished throughout the world. Like many other great writers, Dickinson not only showed talent in her poetry but in her other forms of writing as well. Nearly as famous as her poems, many of Dickinson's letters to loved ones have been published and have become known for their articulate, loving nature. Perhaps the most popular of her letters, Dickinson's correspondence with her sister-in-law, Susan Gilbert, has been the source of debate for the academic community, (Kristin M. Comment, Legacy: A Journal of American Women Writers). Full of sexual innuendo and loving remarks, Dickinson's letter's to Susan suggest Dickinson's felt something more than friendship for Susan. Dickinson's love and dependence towards Susan can be recognized not only in Dickinson's letters, but in her poetry as well, making Susan Gilbert an inspiration to Dickinson's writing.