# data[].attributes.headline
December 10, 1830: Birth of a Poetic Voice

# data[].attributes.subject
December 10, 1830: Birth of a Poetic Voice

# data[].attributes.body
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, to Edward Dickinson and Emily Norcross Dickinson. She was born into a prominent family, and her father was a lawyer who served as treasurer of Amherst College.

# data[].attributes.body
Dickinson attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary for one year. This period marked a significant time in her life as she struggled with religious faith, refusing to make a public declaration of faith in Christ - a decision that set her apart from her peers.

# data[].attributes.body
Upon returning home from seminary, Emily began to withdraw from society gradually. This period marked the beginning of her increasingly reclusive lifestyle, though she maintained close relationships through extensive letter-writing.

# data[].attributes.headline
1840: Early Education at Amherst Academy

# data[].attributes.subject
1840: Early Education at Amherst Academy

# data[].attributes.body
Young Emily began her formal education at Amherst Academy, where she studied for seven years. Here, she excelled in science and Latin, showing early signs of her sharp intellectual capabilities.

# data[].attributes.body
Dickinson developed a passionate interest in gardening and botany. Her garden became a source of great inspiration for her poetry, with many of her poems featuring flowers and nature themes. She became known locally for her beautiful gardens and her skill with plants.

# data[].attributes.headline
1858-1865: Most Productive Writing Period

# data[].attributes.subject
1858-1865: Most Productive Writing Period

# data[].attributes.body
These years marked Dickinson's most productive period of writing, during which she created hundreds of poems. She bound many of her poems into small packets now known as 'fascicles.' This period coincided with the American Civil War, though she rarely wrote about it directly.

# data[].attributes.headline
1862: Contact with Thomas Wentworth Higginson

# data[].attributes.subject
1862: Contact with Thomas Wentworth Higginson

# data[].attributes.body
Dickinson initiated a literary correspondence with Thomas Wentworth Higginson, who became her mentor and literary confidant. She sent him several poems for critique, beginning one of the most important relationships in her literary life.

# data[].attributes.body
The death of her father, Edward Dickinson, deeply affected Emily. This loss intensified her seclusion and led to some of her most profound poetry about death and immortality.

# data[].attributes.body
The death of her beloved eight-year-old nephew Gilbert deeply affected Dickinson, leading to some of her most moving poems about loss and grief. This personal tragedy further deepened her isolation.

# data[].attributes.body
Emily Dickinson passed away in Amherst, Massachusetts, at the age of 55. The cause was listed as Bright's disease. At the time of her death, only a handful of her poems had been published, all anonymously and often altered to fit conventional standards.

# data[].attributes.body
The first volume of Dickinson's poems was published posthumously, edited by Mabel Loomis Todd and Thomas Wentworth Higginson. This collection, though heavily edited, introduced her unique voice to the world and began her journey to recognition as one of America's greatest poets.