The Poems of Emily Dickinson: Reading Edition Paperback – October 28, 2005

I love that they are all her original poems. Her love for Sue is so open and clear. It makes me so sad that they were never able to be a open couple. I wish I could meet her.

This book is a lot more compact and light than I thought it would be, which was a pleasant surprise. I've spent hours at a time flipping through it and reading random poems. They're organized chronologically, and their numbers are off to the side in the margin so as to be unobtrusive. Since Dickinson's original punctuation, spelling, and formatting are preserved, it feels like you're really reading something close to what she intended the poems to be. Detailed textual citations (the particular choices that Franklin decided on when compiling this edition, since Dickinson had multiple versions of some poems) as well as a distribution by year and a first-line index are all at the back.This is definitely the only way I will read Dickinson's poems ever again. Franklin is considered to be one of the most definitive editions of her poetry, and this book has every single poem with one reading for each poem. Great for reading, perusing, or searching for your favorites.

A great way to read Dickinson’s poetry in a stylish soft cover. I highly recommend.

I’ve been looking to get this volume of Dickinson’s work for years. This work is the second best compilation of her poetry right behind Miller’s. I think if you’re looking to really get an understanding and truly experience Dickinson poetry you need this and the Miller copy. Both are organized differently and provide a different perspective.The book came quickly and was packaged well and in excellent condition. There are a lot of low-grade Dickinson volumes out there, but this is not one of them.

Ages ago, I tried to read some of her poems but they didn't click with me then. (My fault, not hers.) But I got to plunge in last year for a course and, oh boy, did she click. Her poems are as succinct as they can be and is very perceptive. If you don't like lengthy poems, then perhaps these will appeal to you. But she doesn't stint on tight reasoning, interesting expressions and perceptions, and crisp finales. The belle of Amherst straightens your spine and sharpens your mind. She's that good. (How's that for a very late-comer?)

This collection of poems was edited by R.W. Franklin. The poems are listed one after another, with only spaces in between each poem. At first, being unfamiliar with Dickinson's work, I was confused by what seemed to be one endless poem, before figuring out the format of the work. That is a bit of weakness, and should've been made more clear in some way.However, besides that, it is a wonderful guide to the work of Emily Dickinson. It starts off with a foreword, giving a little bit of information about the poet (as well as some helpful guidelines to how to read the poems). The index is also well organized, if a little cluttered; I realize that the amount of poems necessitates a smaller font when creating the the index but it does strain your eyes a bit trying to read it. Also included is a list of poems by year, which isn't totally necessary but gives a good sense of the prolific nature of Dickinson. The editorial notes section was a little unclear to me.All in all, if you are looking for a complete text of Dickinson's work, you could do a lot worse. There is a good amount of side information that helps contextualize both the poems and their author. A helpful guide for Dickinson study.

Emily is the original and the best!

A "complete edition" of the poems, citing but not including the many variants. The result is a "standard" text for use. The three-volume variorum edition provides alternative readings for those so inclined to scholarship and "arguing" with the editor's choices. The more casual reader should be happy with this version, which replicates Dickinson's preferences for spellings, punctuation, and above all spacing between words or ideas. (Get used to "opon," used repeatedly and heard as her phonetic reading of "upon," perhaps an overinterpretation.)Seeing the poems in some sort of chronological order allows for some stylistic study, although Dickinson did not usually save her "pre-final" drafts (or wrote later poems on a host of paper types). To be read in smaller doses; the better poems and increasing maturity stand out more effectively this way.