The Poems of Emily Dickinson – Variorum Edition : Variorum Edition

This comprehensive edition contains the largest number of Dickinson’s poems ever assembled, arranged chronologically and drawn from a range of archives. The text of each manuscript is rendered individually, including, within the capacity of standard type, Dickinson’s spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.

A landmark three-volume edition of Emily Dickinson’s poetry, offering an unprecedented window into the mind of a singular American poet. Emily Dickinson wrote nearly 1,800 poems in her lifetime—an astonishing body of work defined by her extraordinary intellect, quick wit, and striking originality. Although she sent hundreds of poems by letter to friends and family over the years, she published only a handful before her death in 1886. The vast majority exist as manuscripts, from working drafts to fair copy bound in small booklets known as fascicles. A landmark in literary scholarship, The Poems of Emily Dickinson: Variorum Edition presents 1,789 poems—the largest number ever assembled. Arranged chronologically, each poem is rendered with Dickinson's spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. Each entry also includes Dickinson’s variants and revisions, as well as information about the poem’s publication history. Prepared by the eminent Dickinson scholar R. W. Franklin, this edition also includes a thoughtful introduction that brings readers into the history of editing Dickinson’s poems. An indispensable resource for scholars and students alike, The Poems of Emily Dickinson: Variorum Edition sheds new light on the creative process of an inimitable American poet.