Final answer:
George Whicher's specific comments about Emily Dickinson are not provided, but available information underscores Dickinson's innovative contributions to American literature, her technical complexity, and her departure from nineteenth-century gender norms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question: What did George Whicher say about Dickinson, seems to draw on a perspective regarding Emily Dickinson's life, personality, and works. However, based on the information provided, there are no direct references to any comments made by George Whicher specific to Emily Dickinson. Instead, the information sheds light on Dickinson's contributions to nineteenth-century American literature. Emily Dickinson was known for her private life and the control she maintained over the distribution of her work. Contrary to the early portrayal of her as a reclusive figure, more recent scholarship highlights the technical complexity of her poetry and her departure from the gender norms of her time. Similarly, Dickinson and Walt Whitman's works show a spirit of artistic innovation that paralleled the various expansions in American life, challenging previous literary traditions established by Emerson, Hawthorne, and Melville. Each poet created a new voice in American literature, with Dickinson often focusing on themes of nature, individual will, and immortality through her vibrant language and innovative techniques.