Emily Dickinsons This World is Not Conclusion
The definition of faith in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is “belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.” In dealing with intangible things, questions are bound to arise debating whether or not they are true. Even the most devout believers have their doubts occasionally, and these questions stem from trusting in something they can not see or touch. The poet Emily Dickinson has written two volumes of poems, and in many of these she confronts her beliefs and her doubts concerning religion. ... One specific poem that has been the focus of these critics is “This World is Not Conclusion” which, within its lines, lies what seems to be a statement of her confidence pertaining to her religious beliefs. ... These questions, however, should not be looked at as though she did not believe. ... Emily Dickinson, through her poem “This world is Not Conclusion,” has given the world a perfect example of a person who, at times, faltered and wondered about the unanswerable questions faith brings about but a person who always knew deep down that God existed. Emily Dickinson’s upbringing, which laid an undeniable foundation that eventually helped give the poet a sort of muse, played a major role in her religious beliefs. During Dickinson’s lifetime, everyone surrounding her, including her father, family, and many of her friends, converted to Christianity, which put enormous amounts of pressure on her, and at the age of fifteen she seemingly gave in to this burden (“Emily Dickinson”). ... At one point she was noted to say that she “never enjoyed such perfect peace and happiness” as the short time in which she “felt she had found her savior,” and even goes on to say that she “shall never be happy without the love of Christ” (“Emily Dickinson”). ... Dickinson was, however, raised in “a traditional New England home in the mid 1800’s… just after all of the ‘Great Awakenings’ and religious revivals when the people of New England began to question the old ways” (“Emily Dickinson”). ... She was not the type of person who believed something to be true just because everyone said it was, she questioned these “truths” and tried to find her own answers and eventually her new way of thinking led her to “reject the Church as an entity” (“Emily Dickinson”). This did not mean that she rejected God, she just did not agree with the teachings of the church where interpretations were portrayed as truths. Dickinson’s beliefs were not just influenced young by family and school friends while she was. ... She was attracted to him because of his “incredibly powerful mind and deep emotions” (“Emily Dickinson”) and through this close correspondence with the Reverend, Dickinson’s religious basis was only strengthened.