Born: 10 December 1830 · Died: 15 May 1886 · Age at death: 55
How old was Emily Dickinson when she died?
Emily Dickinson died aged 55. She was born on 10 December 1830 and died on 15 May 1886.
Reclusive American poet whose nearly 1,800 poems, with their dashes and slant rhymes, were mostly published after her death
Did you know?Only ten of her nearly 1,800 poems were published during her lifetime, and they were often edited to suit conventional standards.
Quick facts
Date of birth10 December 1830
Date of death15 May 1886
Age at death55
Cause of deathBright's disease
NationalityAmerican
BirthplaceAmherst, United States
Occupationwriter, poet, gardener
Editor's Take:
Emily Dickinson wrote some of the most original poetry in English, almost entirely in private. Her short poems, full of dashes and unexpected rhymes, explore death, nature and the inner life with startling intensity. She lived a largely secluded life in Amherst. Only after her death did her family discover nearly 1,800 poems. She is now regarded as one of America's greatest poets.
Key Milestones
1847: Mount Holyoke – studies at seminary
1858: Fascicles – begins sewing poems into booklets
1862: Most productive year – hundreds of poems
1890: First collection – published posthumously
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Largely unpublished and unknown during her lifetime, her work is now widely regarded as canonical.
Emily Dickinson's birthday is December 10. She was born on December 10, 1830 in Amherst, United States.
How old was Emily Dickinson when she died?
Emily Dickinson died on May 15, 1886, aged 55.
Who shares a birthday with Emily Dickinson?
Famous people who share Emily Dickinson's December 10 birthday include Ada Lovelace, Nelly Sachs, Michael Clarke Duncan, Gonzalo Higuaín and Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi.
