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"Could it be madness - this?" : bipolar disorder and the art of containment in the poetry of Emily Dickinson.

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Date

2007

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Abstract

This dissertation engages in a critical analysis of the poetry of Emily Dickinson which, to me, suggests that the poet suffered from a type of manic-depression known specifically in psychiatric parlance as bipolar disorder. I argue that although Dickinson experienced much pain and suffering she learnt, through time, to address, understand and contain adversity - that ultimately, she transformed these experiences into the raw materials for poetic creation. Dickinson's poetic achievements are often obscured by a misunderstanding of her mental and emotional constitution. This thesis provides an alternative to the views of those commentators who maintain that Emily Dickinson was insane, neurotic or delusional. I intend, ultimately, to offer the reader a fresh insight into Emily Dickinson's poetry by reading it from the assumption that she suffered from bipolar disorder.

Description

Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

Keywords

Dickinson, Emily, 1830-1886--Criticism and interpretation., American poetry--Women authors--History and criticism., Mental illness in literature., Literature and mental illness--United States., Women and literature--United States--History--19th century., Theses--English.

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