As you know, most of Emily Dickinson’s poems were discovered after her death by her sister Lavinia, and then Lavinia enlisted the help of Mabel Loomis Todd, Austin Dickinson’s lover, to edit and prepare the poems for publication – and throughout the editing process, Todd worked closely with Dickinson’s mentor Thomas Wentworth Higginson.
“There were two or three matters of editorial policy,” wrote Mabel Loomis Todd in her Journal, “on which Colonel Higginson and I did not agree,” but overall, their relationship remained cordial (which was not the case with Lavinia Dickinson – but that story will come another day).
Early on, Higginson was a bit concerned about Dickinson’s unconventional syntax, capitalization, rhyme and more.
“Changes in the manuscripts were often suggested by Colonel Higginson,” wrote Todd, “to make the poems conform more closely to conventional standards.”
However, a letter to Todd from Higginson in August 1890 showed that he was beginning to fall under Dickinson’s spell. Higginson wrote:
“Dear Mrs. Todd,
On pp. 128, 129, 148 I have made conjectural changes not sustained by MS. Please rub out if you don’t approve!
How wonderfully strong are some of these later ones! Surely they must find readers.”
However, there was one poem that gave Higginson pause.
“One poem only I dread a little to print” wrote Higginson to Todd.
Any guesses as to which one?
I’ll disclose the dreadful little poem tomorrow!
;-)
“There were two or three matters of editorial policy,” wrote Mabel Loomis Todd in her Journal, “on which Colonel Higginson and I did not agree,” but overall, their relationship remained cordial (which was not the case with Lavinia Dickinson – but that story will come another day).
Early on, Higginson was a bit concerned about Dickinson’s unconventional syntax, capitalization, rhyme and more.
“Changes in the manuscripts were often suggested by Colonel Higginson,” wrote Todd, “to make the poems conform more closely to conventional standards.”
However, a letter to Todd from Higginson in August 1890 showed that he was beginning to fall under Dickinson’s spell. Higginson wrote:
“Dear Mrs. Todd,
On pp. 128, 129, 148 I have made conjectural changes not sustained by MS. Please rub out if you don’t approve!
How wonderfully strong are some of these later ones! Surely they must find readers.”
However, there was one poem that gave Higginson pause.
“One poem only I dread a little to print” wrote Higginson to Todd.
Any guesses as to which one?
I’ll disclose the dreadful little poem tomorrow!
;-)
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