� Born around Huntington, New York
� He was part of a second family of nine children
� His father was a carpenter
� Had a very close relationship with his mother
� When he was four years old his family moved to Brooklyn, New York
� Attended public school for six years before he apprenticed to a printed
� Two years later he went to NYC to work print shops
� Returned to Long Island in 1835 t
� Taught country schools
� 1838 and 1838, edited a newspaper Long-Islander in Huntington
� Once he became bored with the job he went back as a printer and a journalist
� Enjoyed opera, theater, libraries, and enjoyed reading
� Wrote stories and poems for popular magazines
� Ministered wounded soldiers during the civil war in the Union army hospitals in Washington
� About only seven of her some 1800 poems were published during her lifetime
� She withdrew herself from social contact at age 24
� Devoted her life to secret writing
� Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, to a family known for their educational and political activity
� Her father an orthodox Calvinist, was a lawyer and a treasurer of Amherst College
� Her father also served in the Congress
� Studied at Amherst Academy from 1834 to 1847
� Also studied at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary form 1847 to 1848
� Around the time of 1850 she started to write poetry, first in conventional style
� After 10 years of practice she began to experiment
� 1858 made a packet of poem she made it herself with needle and thread
� After the civil she restricted her contacts from anywhere outside of Amherst to exchange of letter
� She only dressed in white and saw few visitors who came out to see her
� Spent most of her time in her room
� Lived a secluded life
� Emotional life still remains a mystery
� After her death in 1886 her sister, Lavinia brought out her
� Lavinia co-edited her three volumes from 1891 to 1896
� First volume became popular