Quotes from Lyndall Gordon

You have seen flowers at morning satisfied with the dew, and those same sweet flowers at noon with their heads bowed in anguish before the mighty sun; think you these thirsty blossoms will now need nought but — dew? No, they will cry for sunlight, and pine for the burning noon, tho' it scorches them

Mabel Todd took the offensive with her expanded edition of the Dickinson letters. Her preface presented it as the first book ever issued about Emily Dickinson, prepared at the requests of the poet's brother and sister: Austin Dickinson, Lavinia Dickinson 'and I' collected letters 'which they entrusted to me' to edit and publish. At a stroke, this authorised editor displaced an unauthorised niece.

she declared that speculation had no place in this book that had 'in fact one purpose: to allow Emily Dickinson to speak for herself'. In this way, Todd disclaimed possession in a publication whose prime motive was, in actuality, an act of possession. Without referring to Mattie, it shot Mattie's version of her aunt's life to pieces with well-aimed rhetorical questions: who can know what Dickinson felt for others? Who can know what was momentous?

There are similar mutilations of many letters, especially Emily's early letters to Austin, written when he was in love with Sue, and letters to Sue filled with Emily's parallel, more entrancing ardour. All the mutilations are designed to obliterate the poet's attachment to 'Sister'.