I'm Nobody! Who Are You?

“I’m Nobody! Who Are You?” is a popular lyric poem with interpretive possibilities written by American poet Emily Dickinson, published posthumously in Poems, Series 2 in 1891. Dickinson has become one of the most widely read American poets after her death due to her pithy passionate poems that get to the heart of an idea and use punctuation in unique ways, her intimate letters, as well as her reclusive, unmarried lifestyle, which leads to much speculation. In fact, “I’m Nobody! Who Are You?” tackles the theme of a public versus a private life. Dickinson has spawned many contemporary works of art reimagining her life, including the 2016 biographical film A Quiet Passion with Cynthia Nixon as Dickinson, the 2018 romantic comedy Wild Nights with Emily with Molly Shannon, and the 2019 contemporary Apple TV series Dickinson with Hailee Steinfeld. In addition, her fanbase includes the members of the Emily Dickinson International Society, founded in 1988, which led to the beginning of the biannual academic journal The Emily Dickinson Journal in 1991.

Poet Biography

Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1830, with a lineage that includes the founder of Amherst College, her grandfather Samuel Dickinson. She was known to be a well-behaved child with an interest in playing piano.