Constantly portrayed as the reclusive spinster, the dressed-in-white Belle of Amherst, Emily Dickinson has always been regarded as the epitome of American Victorianism..

However, during her lifetime she wrote poems full of erotic imagery, many dealing explicitly with the subject of sex. Defying the conventions of her era, Dickinson adopted a series of sexual personae to write poems that explored themes of sexuality.

Her refusal to publish allowed her to write with impunity. Consequently, her personae included male and female heterosexuals, lesbians, autoeroticists, masochists, sadists and necrophiles.

Emily Dickinson’s Sexual Personae is R J Dent’s in-depth study of the transgressive nature of Emily Dickinson’s poetry.

Book details:

Title: Emily Dickinson’s Sexual Personae
Author: R J Dent
Cover Art: ‘Removal of the Mask’ by Jennifer Allan
ISBN: 978-1-3005-9584-7
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Pages: 340
Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.35 inches
Publisher: Incunabula
Publication date: 22nd February 2025
Purchase link: https://incunabulamedia.com/r-j-dent