"That poem and that grammatical structure, it is classically the way people in Ireland speak English," says Murray.

The voice of Dickenson's African American servants is also heard in her writings.

Promise This-When You be Dying-

Some shall summon Me-…

"And that way in which she says 'when you be dying', that's so classically the way African Americans structure their sentences, with that interesting use of 'be,'" says Murray.

"Maid as Muse" author Aife Murray says writing her book was a way for her to give credit where credit is due — to the unsung men and women whose language and culture enhanced the work of one of America's best-loved poets.