Emily Dickinson, one of America’s most interesting poets, is undoubtedly the best. Her eyes are eerily detached and reflect her private life in Amherst Massachusetts. She lives a very quiet existence, but her powerful poetry allows her to express her inner thoughts. She is passionate about themes like death, depression, despair, individual ability, and poetry. The poems reveal her thoughts, but it is difficult for us to know what she was thinking because her poetry is so mysterious. Similar to her other recurring themes, Christianity remains the least consistent of Dickinson’s poetry.

It is well-known that Dickinson stopped going to church as a child and quit Mount Holyoke Female Seminary when she was unable to accept the concept of Original Sin (Conarroe 74) at a young age. Dickinson “resisted local religious revivals that were being held by family members or friends.” . . “Involved” (884). Dickinson includes central Christian themes throughout her poetry, despite having a dislike for revivals. Dickinson often uses Biblical references like “Because Your Face/Would put out Jesus” (22-23) or “The Brain is just God’s weight- ” (5). It is also notable that “She loved to read the Bible,” and a variety of other great writers’ works. ‘” (Conarroe 73). Her form and meter also mimic the hymnal ballads she has heard all her life. Although it is difficult to discern her views on Christianity, there are both. Dickinson’s stance on Christianity is not immediately obvious. She encourages readers to read her poetry and find more evidence. The speaker speaks with a loss of faith and its transformation. First line: “Faith, a fine invention,” (1) Dickinson suggests “faith” can refer to the pure belief in God. However, it is now an “invention”(1), meaning that it is man-made, and not sacred. The two lines “Faith can be a fine invention / When Gentlemen see-” (1-2), suggest that it is impossible for men or humans to see. This makes man-made faith not so “fine”. The third line starts with “But Microscopes Are Prudent” (3). Dickinson claims that people who are looking at Christianity from a microscope can often miss the big picture. Dickinson could be criticizing how people focus so much on Christianity’s doctrines and not having faith that God. Dickinson doesn’t agree with the church on Original Sin. But she still seeks spiritual solace away of the family pew. The poem’s final lines contain her pleading with Christians to stop spending their lives gazing down at microscopes and look up to God. Dickinson criticizes what man makes of “Faith,” and not God herself, in this poem.

Another Dickinson poem, “I can’t live with You-,” is a love letter, perhaps addressed to Rev. Charles Wadsworth, whom she seems have shared a close personal relationship (884). Although the poem is filled with tender words, which she longs for, it can be interpreted in many different ways. You can view this poem as Dickinson’s Christ-love poem. Dickinson might also be using Dickinson’s imagery of Christ’s radiant face in her lover’s hands. She could also be using it to mean that her lover is revealing Christ’s face. She speaks to Christ in this reading, as though He were her lover. She expresses grief at not being able be with Him. Dickinson begins the first stanza by saying,

You are the only person I can live with.

It would be life-changing.

The good news is that life is ending.

Behind the Shelf (1-4). Dickinson associates Christ with life, as Christ did in John 14, 6:6. The shelf could also be a symbol of religion. Interesting that she used the shelf image to distinguish Christ from herself, as shelves are often filled with books which are symbols for human understanding and knowledge. Dickinson may be implying human reason and interpretation have stood in God and mankind’s way.

Dickinson wrote in the second line that Sexton kept the Key to-/ Putting up / His Life-His Porcelain” (5-8). Dickinson compares man to Christ’s porcelain. This is something precious and fragile, which she considers Christ’s. She also points out the fact that the sexton is a church official who performs the menial duties of church. Dickinson used the image of a sexton as a symbol to indicate that Christianity’s dogmatic doctrines have destroyed man’s belief system in God.

Dickinson references Christ’s crucifixion, in the fourth and sixth stanzas, respectively. She is expressing regret that she was not able to die with Him or resurrect with Him by using the literal meaning of putting forth/revealing one’s faces. She longs and desires to be with Christ.

These lines have a distinct tone of guilt, the guilt at not being able fully to believe all of the Christian doctrines. She calls Christ.

They would judge us-

How-

For you-

Heaven’s Best

You already know this:

Or sought-to-

(29-32)It’s true that Rev. Charles Wadsworth served God but it is true that Rev. Dickinson continues looking for Christ in the eleventh verse. He is described as the definition of hell by Dickinson. “And I-condemned to be/ Where You weren’t-/ That self-were Hell to me-” (41-44)

Dickinson comes to the realization that Christ and her cannot meet on earth due to the inconsistencies between Christ’s teachings and her own. “So We must separate- / You are there- I am here- ” (45–46). She decides that she must keep the door or communication between them open as wide as possible. “With just The Door open / That Oceans-and-and-Prayer- ” (47-48). She also mentions her despair at the Christian doctrine’s confusion that keeps her from turning to God for spiritual comfort.

These poems provide a fascinating insight into Dickinson’s beliefs about Christ and religion. The passionate monologue she speaks to her lover about the last poem is a clear indication of the clear distinction Dickinson makes between her belief and God’s faith. She longs for Christ throughout the poem, but finally admits that Christian truths will never be found on Earth. She may feel uncertain about the future, and so she uses the dash a lot. This effectively suspends her from the truth.

Conarroe, Joel. “Title of Work.” Date of Publication. Six American authors who write poetry. Vintage Books published a work on New York in 1991.

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