"Belated Answer" by Jane Merchant
This collection consists of a single handwritten poem by Jane Merchant. The poem, "Belated Answer," is written in response to an Emily Dickinson poem, "This is My Letter to the World," the first two lines of which are written at the top of the page.
Dates
- undated
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite, and a minimum of 2 business days are needed to retrieve these items for use. Researchers interested in consulting any of the collections are advised to contact Special Collections.
Conditions Governing Use
The copyright interests in this collection remain with the creator. For more information, contact Special Collections.
Extent
0.1 Linear Feet (1 folder)
Overview
This collection consists of a single handwritten poem by Jane Merchant. The poem, "Belated Answer," is written in response to an Emily Dickinson poem, "This is My Letter to the World," the first two lines of which are written at the top of the page.
Biographical / Historical
Jane Hess Merchant was born in 1919 in Inskip, Tennessee. She was confined to her bed at the age of twelve from the congenital bone disease Osteogenesis Imperfecta, which also caused her to go deaf at the age of twenty-three. From her bedroom, Merchant was able to write more than 3,000 poems, more than 2,000 letters, dozens of prose pieces, and to publish ten collections of her poetry. In addition to her published works, she also maintained continual correspondence with friends and fans throughout her life. Merchant died in 1972.
Emily Dickinson was born December 10, 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts. She was a famous American poet whose poems examined pain, grief, joy, love, nature, and art. Her poem, “This is My Letter to the World” was written around 1862 and portrays the feelings of isolation and communication.
Arrangement
This collection is in one folder.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository