Music is a natural complement to the poetry of Emily Dickinson (1830-1886). Her lyrical voice is often cast in the singable meters of American hymnody: for example, just try singing this Dickinson text to the tune of \u201cAmazing Grace:\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe Bee is not afraid of me.
I know the Butterfly.
The pretty people in the Woods
Receive me cordially \u2014<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nThe line between music and text can blur in Dickinson\u2019s poetry. Not only does poetry sing for Emily Dickinson, but music talks as well:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nI\u2019ve heard an Organ talk, sometimes \u2014
In a Cathedral Aisle,
And understood no word it said \u2014
Yet held my breath, the while \u2014<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s no wonder that composers are often drawn to Emily Dickinson. In honor of National Poetry Month, here is a playlist featuring just a few of the pieces inspired by her work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dickinson\u2019s idiosyncratic punctuation and syntax led to a variety of editorial changes in printed versions of her poems. The poems quoted in this article are mostly taken from The Poems of Emily Dickinson<\/a>, edited by Thomas H. Johnson. In some of these musical works, the text set to music differs slightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nHeart, We Will Forget Him<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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