Romanticism began in the late-18th century and spanned into the mid-19th century. It departed from 18th-century popular notions of order, rationality, and harmony by celebrating “the irrational, the imaginative, the personal, the spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary, and the transcendental” (“Romanticism.” The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Britannica.com, 17 Aug. 2022). By the second phase of Romanticism, the ideals on which the movement began moved from a so-called universal ideal to focusing on national iterations of Romantic thought.

In pre-Civil War America, many writers began incorporating mysticism and dreams into their work, as well as tackling the intense, mythic quality of meritocracy, which is an ideology that strongly informed “the American Dream.” With the American Dream as a cultural value, Romantic writers sought to solidify their own identities, modes of expression, and voice (A Criticism of the American Dream, Georgia State University).

Dickinson’s work delves into “the hidden consciousness of fragmented thoughts” (“Romanticism.”), which is a popular Romantic trope. Her signature dashes and lines emote this quality. This is especially evident in “Tell all the truth but tell it slant,” among other notable poems.