The nineteenth-century American poet, Emily Dickinson, is best known for her short, cynical lyrics riddled with death and her personal reclusion from the outside world and even her family. Of course, as a recluse, Dickinson never married or had any significant romantic relationships, often wearing white as symbol purity in her later years. Interestingly and, quite ironically, Emily Dickinson's poems "I'm 'wife'- I've finished that - ," and "She rose to his requirement – dropt," address two differing attitudes about marriages to convey a similar message. Dickinson, an unmarried woman, uses her situation and experience as a writer to comment from afar.
             The notation "At Home" regarding Emily Dickinson's occupation on her death certificate exposes a life of passion, despair, and ultimately, solitude; even though it is known that she took great pleasure in reading, gardening, friendships, and nurturing her brother's children (Eberwein 3). A peculiar woman, Emily Elizabeth Dickinson remained at the Dickinson Homestead for most of her life and until her death, finding solace in the kitchen pantry and second-story bedroom, where she did most of her writing (Eberwein1). Though much of her poetry gives insight on the multi-faceted dramas of her life, it is her letters that unveil an almost complete portrait of her daily life and give historians a chance to bridge the gap between the themes in her poetry and her personal life. Unsurprisingly, a significant bulk of the speculation focuses on Dickinson's "presumed romantic attachments" (Eberwein 3) even though there is only one documented relationship, which occurred after most of her poetry was already written. The identity of the mysterious "Master", addressed in three passionate letter drafts, remains a question (Eberwein 3) and whether Dickinson's father had vetoed any prospective marriage pr...