"Wild Nights With Emily" is the story of the secret life of Emily Dickinson (Molly Shannon). The poet's persona, popularized since her death, is that of a reclusive spinster — a delicate wallflower, too sensitive for this world. This film explores the vivacious, irreverent side of her that was covered up for many years and recently revealed — most notably Emily's lifelong romance with another woman, Susan Dickinson (Susan Ziegler), the wife of Emily's brother. After Emily died, the mistress of Emily's brother would publish Emily's poems. A fierce rivalry between Emily's beloved and her brother's mistress (Amy Seimetz) in making known the work of this great poet is also the story of two sets of passionate, illicit lovers in a mysterious struggle for a place in history.