It was recently announced that Taylor Swift is related to poet Emily Dickinson. It was both unexpected and unsurprising at the same time. So I thought I would do some further research on Emily and what she would be like if she were alive today. It’s interesting considering the contrast between Emily and Taylor: the former kept her writing to herself and only shared with her family and those whose reading taste she admired while the latter is one of the most well-known artists in the world exposing her innermost thoughts with millions. But the progress society has made in respecting women as artists in the past 130 years makes me wonder what kind of success Emily Dickinson would have had today, would she have kept her writing to herself or would she have been more inclined to share it with others in her own way.
WARDROBE:
Emily Dickinson was well-known for her iconic white dress, something she wore mostly around the home as a house dress. It was made of cotton and embellished with mother-of-pearl buttons. It was not an unusual dress nor was it expensive. In the few photographs there are of her, not one shows her wearing this dress, but she was well-known for wearing it as she was a homebody and it was passed down through her family as a treasure. It’s safe to say that Emily preferred wearing neutrals. She liked calicos (a natural fabric made from unbleached cotton). She once wrote to her cousin regarding her wardrobe:
“You seem to take a smiling view of my finery. If you knew how solemn it was to me, you might be induced to curtail your jests. My sphere is doubtless calicoes, nevertheless I thought it meet to sport a little wool. . . . Won’t you tell ‘the public’ that at present I wear a brown dress with a cape if possible browner, and carry a parasol of the same!”
During much of the mid-late 1800s, color in women’s attire was very popular. Emily, however, went against this trend and stuck to what made her feel comfortable. Today she would enjoy wearing flowy, breathable fabrics in the warmer months and cozy neutrals in the colder months. Very reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s Folklore and Evermore albums.
Writing Style & Tools:
Emily wrote many poems and enjoyed writing letters to her friends and family. She would often share her poems with ones whose reading taste she admired to get feedback on them. As poetry became increasingly important to her in her early 20s, she noticed she differed from the people around her. This would explain her preference to stay at home and write. Her poetry examined pain, grief, joy, love, nature, and art, often reflecting current events in her life.
She admired the Brontë sisters’ writing, igniting her love for women poets and writers, especially those who captured sensibilities akin to her own. Women writers would have given her confidence with her own writing. What’s interesting is that she wasn’t picky about the tools she used for writing. She had a small simple table, enough to seat one, a quill and ink, and loose leaf paper. She often wrote wherever she felt inspired using whatever was available at hand such as wrappers and scraps. She also wrote in both pen and pencil, but towards the end of her years, she wrote only in pencil.
Emily would admire all of the women writers today, maybe even having her own blog or substack to post her poems. She would be a quiet writer, somewhat similar to Donna Tartt. She also would have a simple writing setup, perhaps carrying a small notebook with her at all times just in case inspiration strikes while she’s away from her desk. Or maybe she would just opt to use the napkin at the café she’s at. There’s no explanation as to why she preferred using pencil at the end of her writing career, but maybe she enjoyed the option of erasing and rewriting without having to start over on a different piece of paper. If that’s the case, maybe she would be happy to know that erasable pens exist today.
HOBBIES:
Besides poetry, Emily enjoyed reading, gardening, baking, singing, and playing the piano. She often wrote about flowers and plants in her poems. She also enjoyed baking as a way to give small gifts to friends and family. She enjoyed reading works by the Brontës, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and George Eliot.
If Emily were alive today, maybe she would have a small baking business, sell flowers and produce at the farmers market, be a well-known poet, or a singer-songwriter like Taylor.
Disclaimer: “Author Aesthetic” is a series I created for fun and to entertain my imagination. While the facts about the authors are true, my assumptions of what they would be like today are fictional and my own opinion.
bonitappétit 