Investigate contemporary psychological theories regarding the human mind's response when confronted with clinical depression or other mental illnesses. Describe how Dickinson’s poem translates these psychological experiences into poetic language.

Discuss how Dickinson’s portrayal of the human mind might have been shaped by the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Examine the initial reception of revolutionary scientific ideas, such as those introduced by Galileo in his 1632 work Dialogue on the Great World Systems, which proposed the heliocentric model, or by Charles Darwin in his 1859 publication On the Origin of Species, which introduced the concept of natural selection. Illustrate how Dickinson’s poem captures the early responses to these groundbreaking theories.

Read Emerson’s essay “The Poet” and analyze how Dickinson’s poetry aligns with the principles outlined in it.

Explore the societal expectations for women in nineteenth-century New England. Discuss how Dickinson’s lifestyle either conformed to or defied the roles assigned to women during her time.