The poems and letters of Emily Dickinson that survive today are the result of relatives who saved her work, editors who published it, critics who studied it, and generations of readers who continue to celebrate it. In fact, the history of how Dickinson's works were published and received is just as exciting, mysterious, and controversial as the poems themselves. To understand the poems today, it is useful to begin with the print history of her work and Dickinson's own reservations about publication.

After Emily Dickinson's death, Lavinia Dickinson inherited the painful task of sorting through her sister's possessions and cleaning out the room that had enclosed her for many years. Dickinson asked for her notes and correspondence to be destroyed after her death, so Lavinia dutifully collected papers in preparation for burning. However, as she opened desk drawers and boxes, Lavinia stumbled across a cache of over 1,700 poems, an astonishing collection that no one knew existed. Despite her sister's wishes, Lavinia knew the poems were too precious and important to consign to the fire. She saved the poems, making a vow to have them published. Without Lavinia's dedication to her sister's poetry, the life's work of one of America's most important poets would have vanished. However, through publication, Dickinson's private poems and letters were exposed to public scrutiny and judgment for appreciation or censure.