As a sometimes lonely, not over-popular introverted young teenager, I could identify with and cheer some of her work (I'm nobody, are you nobody too...(yay, we'll- show- them kind of kindred feeling) Now, after reading her biography I realize she was difficult and eccentric; definitely not living in the "real world"  I still find some of her poetry very romantic.

She had some skill with the language, but I never find that her work reaches very deeply.

Not a bad poet; certainly one of the five best American poets who ever lived. However, Emily Dickinson's reputation has been vastly inflated, due to the fact that she is 1. A woman (there are few great women poets) and 2. An American (ditto). A matter of academic politics-gotta keep those PhD scribblers in American Lit./Women's Studies Departments in business.....

When you consider skill with syllable counts and use of vocabulary (along with other skills) Dickinson is a giant among American poets. . .the poems are economical in length but say so much. . .

I love her works because they are timeless.

Note: I was named after her.

An amazing poet for someone who lived as a recluse most of their life, I find her work too morbid to take in large quantities.

Hey, Cap, she may have been an old maid but she was a damn good poet! She was a recluse but she was very creative and daring,definitely ahead of her time. She came up with some great one-liners. My favorite one is I heard a fly buzz when I died.

Old maid.. her poetry isn't that good, but she's the best female poet of that time so.. apparently she's a genius now..

Okay, John, your comment inspired me to re-read some of Emily Dickinson's poetry that I have probably underrated. Poetry should always be looked at more than once! I've always been impressed with "Because I could not stop for Death" -- now I have to add "The Soul selects her own Society" ("The Soul selects her own Society -- / Then -- shuts the Door -- / To her divine Majority -- / Present no more.") and "This quiet Dust was Gentlemen and Ladies" and "There's a certain slant of light". Thanks, John, for sending me back to a more careful reading!

A real one-off.She spent almost all her unmarried,increasingly withdrawn life(1830-1886)at her family's homes in Massachusetts.Her verse -there was no published collection in her lifetime- is initially startling.What does it mean?What sort of a mind could it spring from?The punctuation seems so strange and she's apparently obsessed by death.Then the tiny poems seep into you,come to feel natural,inspired,like shafts of light spun by some confident,conjuring,audacious spider.I Felt a Funeral in my Brain,Exultation is the Going,A Bird came down the Walk,The Spider holds a Silver Ball,My Life Closed Twice before its Close,I Heard a Fly Buzz when i Died,Because I could not Stop for Death are all miniture pearls.Don't be deterred if you're unimpressed on first acquaintance;not long back i'd have barely given her 3 stars.It's worth delving again,and the realisation may slowly dawn that she is one of the very great poets!