"Faith" is a fine invention

One immediate literary context for Dickinson’s poem is Transcendentalism—a movement that occurred in the United States during Dickinson’s lifetime. Bolstered by New England writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, Transcendentalist writings favored a spiritual relationship with the larger world. They wanted to leave behind—transcend—the single self and become a part of something greater. In his essay “Nature” (1836), Emerson describes a rapturous moment in the forest: “I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing; I see all.” The emphasis on vision relates to Dickinson’s poem as it mentions “Gentleman who see!” (Line 2) and “Microscopes” (Line 4). A straightforward, non-satirical reading of the poem could include Transcendentalists in the group of Gentleman and turn “Microscopes” (Line 3) into symbols for the human eye.

Keeping in mind the tongue-in-cheek tone of “‘Faith’ is a fine invention,” it’s possible to read the poem as a challenge to the elevated mysticism championed by Transcendentalists. In this reading, Dickinson tells Transcendentalists their intangible “‘[f]aith’” (Line 1) might mislead, so they may want to rely on something more concrete, like a literal microscope. The satirical tone also relates to Utilitarianism—a 19th-century development in England that placed a premium on facts and rationality. Dickinson read the prolific English author Charles Dickens, and his novel Hard Times (1854) satirizes Utilitarianism. Dickinson arguably mocks Utilitarianism by puffing up the scientific microscope into “Microscopes” (Line 4). Then again, perhaps Dickinson’s poem shows that Transcendentalism and Utilitarianism are both useful depending on the occasion. Transcendental faith can be “fine” (Line 1), but in an “[e]mergency” (Line 4), a Utilitarian microscope is helpful.