For faith??

“Faith” is a fine invention

"Faith" is a fine invention
When Gentlemen can see—
But Microscopes are prudent
In an Emergency. 

Emily Dickinson

In “’Faith’ is a fine invention,” Emily Dickinson explores the vulnerability of faith through the more tangible aspect of man and invention.

Faith is the idea of believing in something that is not necessarily tangible but rather an idea or concept that will help pull through or deal with a situation. Dickinson describes faith as a “fine invention” suggesting that it could be a tactic that “Gentlemen” create when they see that things aren’t exactly going the way they should “in an Emergency”.  Faith becomes a fine invention when men are able to see where they are in a situation but then Dickinson cuts the sentence showing an unfinished thought which produces the questions of what it is that faith helps the gentleman see. The microscopes seem to take a higher rank than faith. Microscopes serve as invention for finer analyzing.Dickinson contrasts the microscope and faith, where “microscopes are prudent” meaning that they can be more careful or precise in predicting the future and that faith isn’t given the choice between the two in an emergency.  In the poem, “Gentleman”, “Microscopes” and “Emergency” are all capitalized showing a sense of importance of an Emergency where Gentleman must use a Microscope to better predict the outcome of the emergency, because faith alone will not help in seeing the future of the emergency but just the belief that they will make it through the emergency, but then how can a microscope really help in a emergency? Microscopes would easily be thrown aside in the time of an emergency rather than faith, but the poem suggests that microscopes are at a higher standard than faith. Dickinson questions what the Gentleman will use in an emergency will they use microscopes, which symbolize fact or practicality or faith a conjured concept when they can see that they will make it through. The first line shows a sense of vulnerability. “Faith is a fine invention,” faith is not only a belief that something will happen but also the vulnerability in the belief that something has to happen. When the Gentleman can see, faith becomes a fine invention, when Gentleman, proper, dignified men, are vulnerable faith is a “good, just, or a good choice” for an invention. Structurally it is interesting that that the second line doesn’t come before the first, so that it was “When Gentleman can see-/ “Faith is a fine invention” to show that when Gentleman are no longer blind and everything is clear and they have become more knowledgeable, that faith is a good virtue to have. For the last two lines it is interesting that Dickinson says, “But Microscopes are prudent/ in an Emergency” rather than, “but in an Emergency/ Microscopes are prudent.” The structure of the poem Dickinson’s way, sets the tone of endearing saying that when the men have become more knowledgeable that faith is clearer and allows more focus but then the tone shifts to  a more knowledgeable, superior , knowing tone when she says that in an emergency, microscopes are more helpful as if they have discovered through personal experience.