Emily Dickenson's "Faith is a fine invention" and "My life had stood-a loaded gun," pgs.80,89

The first poem we were assigned to read, written by Emily Dickenson caught my attention. In the opening line, she states that," faith is a fine invention for gentleman." She goes on to say that "Microscopes are prudent in an emergency!" I believe that this poem expresses the way society expresses their religion. Some people appear to be strong in their faith until crisis comes. I don't think that she is saying this alone. I think that her words convey the thoughts that just because one has faith, doesn't mean that they need to disengage their brains. Science can be helpful if one opens their mind to receive the help. I think that she is saying that we should not write off doctors and nurses and believe in God alone. Perhaps she is saying that God gives us wisdom, so that we can use it. I noticed how she used an exclaimation point at the end. I believe that she used this exclaimation point to draw attention to the importantance of her statement.

The second poem that really caught my attention is the one on page 89. The title alone drew me in. "My Life had stood- a Loaded Gun-" This statement alone says she compared her life to a loaded gun. A gun is powerful and dangerous. It has the ability to kill if aimed properly. I believe much of this poem speaks to how Dickenson felt as a woman. In line two she wrote about how the gun was in the corner. Perhaps she meant that she could receive the recognition for the power that she possessed, until a few recognized her ability to write and she was published. When she talks of wandering in sovereign woods, I wonder whether that means the woods where her master is king, but allows her to go along. It seems that she had difficulty in her personal and professional life, and mostly due to the fact that she was a woman who had aspirations to do some of the things that men did all of the time. This must have been frustrating to her having such ability and knowledge, and have to supress it. The poem shows that she was angry when it speaks of the vesuvian face. It seems that Mount Vesuvius was a volcano. She goes on to write about how she is a a foe of her master? When she writes that she calls for him, "the mountains straight reply", I am certain she means the anger. I am assuming this is her father. When she writes," none stir a second time", perhaps that means when she shoots him he won't wake up again.

The last stanza saddens me because she is writing about how upset she is. She is so frustrated that she wants to kill someone, but at the same time wants to kill herself, but cannot bring herself to do it. I think that even today, some women can still relate to the feeling powerful, and yet powerless, simply because they do not want to deal with the fear of the waves they will make. There are some that are more afraid of dealing with difficulty than dealing with the prisons they are in. Dickenson must have gone through great turmoil through out her lifetime. Just because she was born into a well-to-do family that was educated, does not mean that disfunction was non existant. When Dickenson wrote this poem, I believe she wrote it for herself, disguising it's meaning, but many women for many generations will surely feel connected to her.

Lines upon the page of life

Why do I wonder.....to the end of my wit;
what to write until I spit.
I will continue to plunder, and begin again,
for how else will I become the reader's friend?