How Opposing Ideologies By Emily Dickinson Is More Alike Than Different

Opposing Ideologies: More Alike Than Different
Throughout time, ideas of religious fervor and scientific discovery have swirled around in competition with each other, fighting for the upper-hand. Emily Dickinson explores these rival views in her many poems, making her an influential part of this timeless debate. Many of Dickinson’s poems tend to criticize religion, yet some cater to other views as well. In Dickinson’s Poem 168, she illustrates the moral dispute between the opposing ideas of scientific knowledge and religious ideology, ultimately telling her reader that the two can exist in harmony rather than being competitors.
Poem 168’s first stanza appears to favor scientific ideas but ends with a bold statement contradicting its earlier lines. Dickinson first denotes the religious minded as “foolish” (1) to call all flowers simply “flowers” (1). She questions whether the “wiser” (2) or more science-minded, should educate the religious and tell them how
Dickinson says that the book of Revelations, a chapter in the New Testament, is the same no matter who reads it. This line is followed by a dash, Dickinson’s signature punctuation throughout her poems. She uses dashes as hinges to connect or disconnect two lines. Using the dash as a separation, this stanza says that for all readers, the Book of Revelations is the same, suggesting that despite their religious beliefs, all religious people are one. Using the dash as a connection, this stanza says that the Bible is the same whether read by a religious or a scientific person, Dickinson she describes as having “beclouded Eyes” (8). “Eyes” (8) is used in a vague sense, meaning that the people, or “I’s” are clouded by their own beliefs and their refusal to listen to others. This interpretation connects back to the previous stanza, saying that religion and science are no different, and neither one is