Title Pending 208

This article explores the interconnected perspectives of Charles Darwin and Emily Dickinson on happiness, offering a comprehensive analysis of their respective contributions to the understanding of this elusive concept. It contextualises Darwin’s and Dickinson’s views within the broader historiography of happiness, juxtaposing them with religious depictions, particularly the Christianisation of the idea. Unlike religious interpretations, Darwin’s discoveries challenged providential design, asserting chance as a governing principle in natural processes. To be more precise, his groundbreaking evolutionary theory, particularly outlined in On The Origin of Species, significantly alter traditional notions of happiness by emphasising the role of emotional and instinctive drives. Besides, this article underscores the impact of Darwin's ideas on Dickinson's scepticism toward religious interpretations of happiness, evident in the alignment of her poetic expressions with the challenges to faith during Darwin's transformative era. By means of examining several of Dickinson’s poems and letters in conjunction with Darwin’s autobiography, it establishes a dialogue between the two figures, revealing Dickinson's nuanced engagement with Darwinian concepts. The exploration extends then to Dickinson's approach to chance, as reflected in her poetic exploration of nature's workings. Likewise, it highlights Darwin's impact on Dickinson's worldview, suggesting that she valued chance as a gift, aligning with his view that chance is indispensable to the origin of new species. Overall, it offers a rich examination of the dynamic interplay between Dickinson's poetic vision and Darwin's scientific insights in shaping the evolving concept of happiness in the nineteenth-century.