I Never Saw A Moor and “Faith” is a Fine Invention

I Never Saw A Moor is basically Emily Dickinson’s way of saying you do not have to see to believe. Although she’s never seen a Moor (Muslim) or the Sea, or God or Heaven, the narrator knows they exist. Personifying all these things she has never seen makes it as if they are people she has never met; they exist, she just does not know them personally. She has faith that God and Heaven exist and faith alone is enough for her to be certain of their existence.

            “Faith” is a Fine Invention can be read in a satirical tone. Reading it in this way, Dickinson is criticizing our general emphasis on having faith in ourselves and in one another. It is only useful when one can “see”, as in they know what will happen in their future. But on the other hand, it is Dickinson’s way of finding a balance between science and religion. She puts “faith” in quotes to suggest that there is something wrong and misunderstood about the general meaning of the word. Referring to it as an invention makes it seem created by science which is exactly what faith should not be.  In times of need, one can turn to “inventions” and “microscopes” or to “faith”. Dickinson believes tools of science are for emergencies, which I interpret to be medical and physical.

            The two poems’ main meanings center around faith.  The first one applauds faith while the second one can be interpreted as criticizing it. Dickinson’s two stances are not explicitly stated in the poem. It is through the meaning of the symbols and personification in which we can uncover her somewhat hidden meaning of faith. Who knew the concept of faith could have so many dimensions? Apparently Emily Dickinson did.