WILDFLOWER EMILY

A young Emily Dickinson excitedly explores the natural world.

As familiar as the American literary giant may be, many are still stumped and stymied by her uniquely phrased poems. Even well-known verses—“‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” and “I’m Nobody! Who are you?”—may leave readers with questions. In this beautiful, soft-edged story full of sylvan sprawl, the poet—here an adolescent girl enamored with botany—sets out to study flora on its home turf. With her shaggy dog Carlo in tow, she ambles far from home and sets her sights on woodland wonders. She admires “how soft a caterpillar steps,” gazes in awe at an orchid, and converses quietly with a snail. Dickinson’s prolific verse is elegantly interposed with equally mesmerizing visual poetry. An image of Emily taking in the summer breeze is paired with the verse “a soft Sea washed around the House / a Sea of Summer Air”; in her imaginings, the waves of a golden ocean engulf a glistening field. As her outing ends, evening approaches and its “Vastness…Wisdom…Peace” are framed by mellow hues of purple-pink twilight. Corry’s delight in illustrating botanical imagery with soothing colors and rich textures shines through in every step Emily takes and every specimen she observes.

A deeply satisfying, accessible illumination of the green world that inspired Dickinson’s intriguing, intimate poems.