18 pages • 36 minutes read
Emily Dickinson"Faith" is a fine invention
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1891A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Literary Devices
Form and Meter
The shape of Dickinson’s poem is tiny and compact. Its small form is due in part to its lyric and riddle-like elements. Lyric poems tend to be short, and due to the lack of words—there are only 16 total words—the poem can be somewhat puzzling. The form limits Dickinson, so her speaker can’t expand on the meaning of faith, gentlemen, microscopes, or what qualifies as an emergency.
The clipped form allows for multiple, intricate readings; yet the poem doesn’t sound difficult because Dickinson uses a mellifluous meter. Lines 1 and 3 rhyme, so each line contains seven syllables; and Lines 2 and 4 rhyme, so each line contains six syllables. This type of meter links to syllabics, which is when the poet uses a specific number of syllables in a line but doesn’t worry about the unstressed/stressed pattern made by the syllables.
In a sense, the meter requires a microscope—the reader has to count the number of syllables in each line to notice the pattern. Additionally, the miniature form requires faith since the reader has to trust Dickinson’s speaker and their interpretation to figure out the poem’s deeper meaning or if there is one.
Juxtaposition
Juxtaposition is a literary device that allows the poet to compare and contrast two ostensibly unlike ideas. The poet sets these two supposedly opposite things together to show how they’re different or not so dissimilar. Juxtaposition propels Dickinson’s poem since the work compares faith to microscopes. She brings the two concepts together so her speaker can make a point—or several points—about them. Faith is “[f]or Gentlemen who see” (Line 2), while microscopes are for “an Emergency” (Line 4).
The poem also features implied juxtapositions. Faith is juxtaposed with inventions, with the speaker collapsing the gap between the two. Humans created faith, just like they made microscopes and myriad other technological devices. With juxtaposition, the speaker shows how faith links to the temporal world and not only the intangible spiritual world.
The speaker then subtly juxtaposes gentlemen with sight and gentlemen without sight, since not all gentlemen can “see” (Line 2). Next, Dickinson’s speaker notes the “prudent” (Line 3) elements of microscopes, which indicates a juxtaposition with the incautious qualities of faith. Finally, the speaker implies a juxtaposition between emergencies and ordinary life, as microscopes are likely to be more helpful when it comes to the former.
Symbolism
Symbolism is a literary device that helps the poet address complex concepts through a single figure or thing. Dickinson uses symbolism throughout her poem, which is why the short poem yields an array of interpretations. “‘Faith’” (Line 1) is a symbol of religion, spirituality, or a belief or emotion that defies empirical evidence. As Dickinson surrounds the term with scare quotes, it’s also a symbol of something doubtful. It’s as if the speaker doesn’t fully believe in faith, so they can’t sincerely say the word, so they must have someone else say it.
“Gentlemen” (Line 2) are symbols, as Dickinson’s speaker has them represent privilege and power. As with faith, Dickinson subverts their symbolism by puffing the gentlemen up into a proper noun, which makes it possible to see these gentlemen as symbols of unfounded, unearned authority. With “Microscopes” (Line 3), the symbolism is slightly less subversive. Dickinson’s speaker tells what they represent—wisdom and careful thought. As microscopes allow a person to see things up close and clearly, they also symbolize keen sight—the type of vision that’s “prudent” (Line 3) in emergencies.
Related Titles
By Emily Dickinson
