Dickinson: Selected Poems and Commentaries

The book I ordered from SecondStoryBooks, described as in "very good" condition, arrived today (3 days early) in perfect condition, and was well wrapped for shipping. Definitely a first-class Amazon vendor.The book is a terrific compendium of poet Helen Vendler's astute commentaries on 150 poems by Emily Dickinson, which anyone interested in her poetry should read. Vendler clariiies and deepens one's understanding of the fundamental ideas behind Dickinson's often ambiguous poems—and those are frequently the ones most worth reading.

Emily Dicksinson's poetry was unlike just about everything being written at the time by her more famous mostly male contemporaries. She distilled complexities of experience and emotion into language that truly told it slant. Her verse is like Shakespeare's sonnets which are are at their most difficult because they contain deep and sometimes contradictory emotion.Helen Vendler proves again to be a great companion for the reader, unpacking and guiding. The best way to read this selection is to read each poem, Vendler's commentary, and then reread that poem once or twice more. Windows open. I cannot say I always agree with Vendler's interpretations, but they are always illuminating.

This is both an excellent introduction for first time readers of Emily Dickinson as well as suitable for those who have read her for years. I found this book when first starting to read Dickinson, which helped me to develop my own framework for analyzing her poems, and often come back to it when thinking about individual poems. While I do see where other reviewers are coming from when they note that at times Vendler can seem to provide "the answer" on how to interpret a poem, I think if read in a more open manner, one can look at the interpretations as just one of many that can help guide own's own or just add a valuable scholarly perspective. However one may read the book, each commentary provides deeper insight into the poems and additional literary, historical or other background information that is valuable to developing one's own interpretation. Another valuable insight gained is how to analyze different aspects of the poems, such as how the slant rhymes or dissonances contribute to meaning and indicate where Dickinson was cuing the reader to look for alternate meanings.

Some of Emily‘s best poems examined carefully. It’s not always easy to understand her poems but this book has been an eye opener for me!

This is Vendler doing what she does best: illuminating the stylistic and imaginative features of the work of a great poet. Here, the reader always benefits from Vendler's insights into Dickinson's creative process and decisions, and in every case the reader comes away with a stronger sense of what the poet was trying to accomplish in a particular poem. This is true whether Vendler turns her attention to the substitution of a single word (lie/sleep) or an entire stanza (as in "Safe in their Alabaster Chambers"). Vendler's comparison of variants is always instructive -- as in her reading of "Title Divine -- is mine!," in which she reflects on the poet's use of rhyme, rhythm, diction, punctuation, et cetera. It will be eye opening to many readers, I suspect, to see the ways in which something as "simple" as rhyme reinforces meaning.Vendler is also very good on biblical imagery and allusion. Over the course of many commentaries, Dickinson's obsession and argument with the Bible seems to come to life. This, I think, is one of the more astounding accomplishments of the book. And here she provides a great, great service to the reader. In a more secular age, when people don't really read the Bible any longer, we need to have everything writ large for us. All in all, this is an indispensible guide to Dickinson's poetry.

No one offers insight into poetry as detailed and yet helpful as that of Helen Vendler. She has written of the great poets and their poetry, and I have gained something from each of her books.This new volume, "Dickinson" takes on the enigma of Emily Dickinson. Like the others, this one is a browser's book. . .find a poem you want to understand better, wrestle with the poem a while by yourself, and then go over what Vendler has to say. Go over what Vendler has to say VERY SLOWLY and CAREFULLY. You will be enriched.While she sometimes makes outlandish claims about the impact of a particular word or meter, she is nevertheless helpful in giving the reader new ideas to consider.I love Emily Dickinson's work. I cannot say that I truly understand Dickinson's work. With Helen Vendler's help, I can speak somewhat more intelligently about the possibility of meaning in Dickinson's poems that appear so simple. There is much more going on between the lines, as Vendler points out.

Very clear, utterly unpretentious and almost always enlightening. It is only about once every five years I come across a book of literarycriticism that I actually want to read! But I shall certainly read every page of this. Vendler has already led me to learn by heart several wonderful poems that I had previously found baffling.

Our customer was delighted.

This is a wonderful book; Helen Vendler is one of the great readers and interpreters of poetry and her commentary on these 150 poems of Emily Dickinson are a masterclass. She avoids jargon and provides wonderful insights into the poems; even ones I thought I knew and understood are enriched by her insights. This is a beautifully produced book that I cannot recommend too highly.

Excellent book which gives an analysis of some of Emily Dickinson’s poem. I am finding it so helpful in understanding her writing, use of words and their background. Has made me appreciate her more and often gasp in wonder at her skill. It is a truly scholarly exposition.

Never has there been a Better Guide to the Undiscovered Country that is the Poetry of Emily Dickinson. Always Enigmatic. With Emily Less is Always More. Her Rivers run Deep. Love Death and Life. Compacted. Read Dickinson and Swoon. But first you need to Unlock her Secrets. This Book does that. Beautifully

Dickinson is very enigmatic, especially when you're new to her, and Vendler's informed and fascinating commentary gives you an excellent reading of the poems and a sound base on which to build your own critical appreciation.For new and essential biographical details, I also recommend you to read the astonishing, "Lives Like Loaded Guns: Emily Dickinson and Her Family's Feuds" by Lyndall Gordon.

Insightful and brilliant. Opens up Dickinson's poems like never before.