This World is not Conclusion

“‘Faith’ is a fine invention” by Emily Dickinson (1891)

In this four-line poem, Dickinson characterizes religious faith as an “invention,” implying that organized religion is an institution created by people rather than a higher being. Just as she does in “This World is not Conclusion,” Dickinson criticizes blind religious faith and encourages a “prudent” (Line 3) combination of faith and scientific observation to understand more clearly the mysteries of the world.

“The Only News I know” by Emily Dickinson (1929)

Dickinson declares that she only wants information about the spiritual, describing her lack of interest in this world and her fascination with the life beyond. Just as “This World is not Conclusion” affirms there must be something after death, “The Only News I know” longs for revelations about the afterlife.

“I dwell in Possibility” by Emily Dickinson (1929)

Of all Dickinson’s poems, “I dwell in Possibility” perhaps best expresses her creative vision. The poem describes the imaginative power of poetry to reconfigure the world. For Dickinson, faith and science are not individually sufficient to answer the mysteries of eternity. Her poetry instead advocates a lifestyle of questioning and wondering without the need for a straightforward answer.