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How did Elizabeth Barrett Browningâs writing influence Emily Dickinsonâs ambition as a poet?
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Emily Dickinson
Poet Emily Dickinson is one of American poetry's most singular and influential voices.
Emily Dickinson was introduced to the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning by her friends Susan Gilbert and Henry Vaughan Emmons. Barrett Browningâs writing served as a significant catalyst for Dickinsonâs own development as a poet, specifically by validating the possibility of female greatness in literature.1
Two of Barrett Browningâs works were particularly formative for Dickinson:
- "A Vision of Poets": This work, which describes a pantheon of poets, helped shape Dickinson's perspective on the poetic tradition.1
- Aurora Leigh: This verse novel, which focuses on the development of a female poet, was instrumental in stimulating Dickinsonâs personal ambition.1
By engaging with these texts, Dickinson found a model for a female literary identity that encouraged her own creative aspirations.1