Emily Dickinson (10 December 1830 – 15 May 1886 / Amherst / Massachusetts)

This is an anti religious poem. She is calling faith an 'invention' i.e. something made up by people - a technology. In particular, it is an invention used by 'Gentlemen' or the establishment support their version of the 'truth'.

While religion may be a useful 'tool', if you actually want to find the truth of something, especially if its important, then science / actual observation is required.

Faith is a fine invention, the man who is gentle can see it while the one who is a logic machine can not see it.... it is a invention, fine, to test people's attitudes In an emergency.

Faith is a fine invention, the man who is gentle can see it while the one who is a logic machine can not see it.... it is a invention, fine, to test people's attitudes In an emergency.

I think this young (then) lady was just exceptional and i only wish id read her works earlier than today as my first day... this is just so suggestive in my eyes...she appears to be knocking religion as as she suggests using a microscope but why? oh why is faith written as a spoken word in speech brackets? could it be to suggest a female of consequence, even competition to Emily herself? a young lady flitting around smiling and gregarious, whom emily did not trust or like, maybe a young man she liked was distracted by 'Faith'

or even is it that she feels Faith is as a young woman to distract young mens thoughts...not sure just my reaction....
oh emily you do make me smile...tyvm

You know this lady just writes poems in manner such that she would live you wondering and thinking all by yourself, her writes are very specific and interesting, well most of them ofcoz

The_African_Son

faith is a tool much like a microscope...

Love, love, Ms. Emily,
Theo

Faith is believing in something you can't see. When it really matters though (an emergency) it is very difficult to go on faith alone. 'Microscopes are prudent...' we need to see it in order to believe it.

Of course. Faith is a nice concept of seeing and it can see through it that we can't through miracoscopes.

I have always believed that Emily was taking a polite, but firm, jab at the Calvinists of her time. Don't forget she was a woman, in love.