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Who was the unidentified person called āMasterā in Emily Dickinsonās letters?
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Emily Dickinson
Poet Emily Dickinson is one of American poetry's most singular and influential voices.
The identity of the person Emily Dickinson addressed as "Master" in three pleading letters drafted between 1858 and 1861 remains unknown, and there is significant scholarly speculation regarding who this individual was.12
Because the earliest draft predates her friendship with Samuel Bowles, he is no longer considered a likely candidate, despite previous theories. Other individuals who have been proposed include:2
- Charles Wadsworth: A Presbyterian minister who remains one of the most likely candidates.12
- George Henry Gould: A former college classmate of Dickinsonās brother and a recipient of an earlier valentine from the poet; he is also considered a primary possibility.12
- Others: Some have suggested the recipient may have been a woman, such as her friend Kate Scott Anthon or her sister-in-law, Susan Gilbert Dickinson.12
Ultimately, because the letters were drafts and it is unclear if final versions were ever sent, the identity of "Master" remains a subject of conjecture rather than historical fact.12