Dickinson among the Other Spasmodics

Abstract:In 1862, Emily Dickinson admitted to Thomas Wentworth Higginson, repeating his words, that her verse was “uncontrolled,” her “gait ‘spasmodic.’” This essay argues that Dickinson’s outlook and style of poetry is aligned with the British Spasmodic movement of the 1850s. The Spasmodics sought to intensify the experience of reading poetry by portraying tormented characters of often questionable morality with language that was equally dizzying, piling on unusual imagery and farfetched metaphors. The Spasmodics were especially focused on using versification to intensify the effect their poetry would have on readers, seeking to use all available prosodic resources. The essay describes the brief florescence of the Spasmodics, their quick decline, and their long-lasting effects on nineteenth-century poetry. It describes Spasmodic metrical theory and practice, demonstrating what Dickinson learned from them and how she went beyond them to craft her distinctive poetics.