Who is Emily Dickinson? And why should anyone care? There are answers to these questions, very good answers, in fact. But I do not wish to supply them here. I prefer that we discover them together, through inquiry and discussion. Our Miss Emily (1830–1886)—one of America’s most celebrated literary figures—dwells in perennial possibility, in infinite expanse and unlimited amplitude. The mind knows no constraints, geographical, historical, or otherwise, if it is adventurous, and Dickinson’s is nothing, if not audacious. Once creative thought unshackles the chains of period and place, it is free to survey the landscape, hither or yon, fictional or factual, earthly or heavenly, wherever the emancipated wings of imagination alight, no matter how outwardly sedimentary and spinsterish a person’s quotidian life may appear to the casual observer. In the time allotted us, we will explore a small yet representative sample of Dickinson’s voluminous poetry (roughly 1,800 items comprise the corpus), with a focus on distilling the quintessence of what makes the Belle of Amherst such a singular and compelling presence in the consciousness of contemporary audiences. Specifically, we will study approximately 20 poems touching on profound existential issues that characteristically preoccupy not just the superlative poet under consideration but also reflective individuals of every stripe: life and death, pain and suffering, nature and society, science and religion, love, and the poetic function itself. No prior experience of Dickinson is necessary. Just read the assigned poems, think about them, and come to class prepared to join the conversation.