Charles Darwin's famous book, On the Origin of Species, was published on November 24, 1859. Science was a hot debate during the life of Emily Dickinson. Every belief surrounding the beginnings of man and other creatures was on the rocks. One of the grand Victorian hobbies was to capture and collect insects, birds, rodents, and many other animals for the pleasure of natural study. People were fascinated by the natural world surrounding them and wanted to be able to somewhat, if not fully, begin to understand it. Darwin's Origin started to throw a drastic change into the previous thoughts toward the natural world. Many people were studying nature, but Darwin was one of the first to publicize his contradictory thoughts on science. Often The Origin of Species is turned into a religious debate, and while Darwin though carefully about his beliefs on religion, his purpose in writing the scientific book was not to denounce Christianity. He was simply trying to understand what he observed of the natural world.
Emily Dickinson also wanted to understand the world around her. She sought to find the discrepancies in the human condition and speak to those. Emily also liked the natural world and was no stranger to it. Being an avid gardener, she enjoyed learning about the plants that she used. There are a number of poems that speak to the upcoming science, it's processes, and the implications it might have to belief and religion. Many of Emily's poems in this category seem contradictory. Emily wasn't sure where she stood on this issue, however, tends to be cautious of the change in science. Like with most subjects Emily picks, she does so in order to explore and creatively think though what she believes. She was simply trying to understand what she observed of the natural world debate.
We'll look at two poems in order to get a glimpse of what Emily thinks on this subject. The first is Poem 70:
"Arcturus" is his other name
I'd rather call him "Star."
It's very mean of Science
To go and interfere!
I slew a worm the other day—
A "Savant" passing by
Murmured "Resurgam"—"Centipede"!
"Oh Lord—how frail are we"!
I pull a flower from the woods—
A monster with a glass
Computes the stamens in a breath—
And has her in a "class"!
Whereas I took the Butterfly
Aforetime in my hat—
He sits in "Cabinets"—
The Clover bells forgot.
What once was "Heaven"
Is "Zenith" now—
Where I proposed to go
When Time's brief masquerade was done
Is mapped and charted too.
What if the poles should frisk about
And stand upon their heads!
I hope I'm ready for "the worst"—
Whatever prank betides!
Perhaps the "kingdom of Heaven's" changed—
I hope the "Children" there
Won't be "new fashioned" when I come—
And laugh at me—and stare—
I hope the Father in the skies
Will lift his little girl—
Old fashioned—naughty—everything
Over the stile of "Pearl."
This poem does a really good job of opening the stage for Emily's thoughts. She is saying a lot in this poem and it's easy to see many of her concerns with the coming of science. In the first few stanzas she seems to be lamenting the change of science on the world that she has observed. She doesn't like that people have decided upon names of stars, she'd rather it just be a star; in the second stanza she takes a direct jab as scientists by putting savant in quotation marks; the third and fourth stanzas are pointing out the uselessness of killing something living only to put it in glass and give it a class specification. The second half of the poem takes a turn from the silliness of science to the problems it could bring. The fifth stanza questions whether science will take over what we know of heaven, giving it a name and charting the way to it. The sixth comments on the fear that may come with science—what happens if everything changes? Humans now have to be concerned about the future because we know what may happen. A less dramatic, but still present turn happens in the last two stanzas, and Emily becomes more personal in her questioning of science. Will she no longer fit in if she doesn't accept these new ideas? Or, perhaps, will God accept her if she DOES accept the new ideas?
The second poem is number 108:
Surgeons must be very careful
When they take the knife!
Underneath their fine incisions
Stirs the Culprit—Life!
This short poem is rather charming, but also has a serious note to it. She is concerned that the scientists don't know what they're getting into. In order to "understand" the life, they have to kill it. One can't dissect an animal and understand how it functions without killing the animal in the process. She's commenting on the way that science may end up killing all of nature, taking all the beauty out of what was there. If we know too much, then it won't be possible to appreciate it.
So, where does this leave us in terms of what Emily thought or believed about science? I truly believe that Emily was just questioning. She was cautious about the potential hazards of science and what it had the possibility of doing to the world. In very Emily Dickinson fashion, she is questioning the good of the work being done in science. She is concerned that science will put the grand world in a box, making it much too simple. It is clear that she thought it was an interesting topic and was curious where it might lead, but was also concerned about the negative side-effects that were sure to come along with it.
Note: Thoughts started and stirred by Christine Avery's article Science, Technology, and Emily Dickinson.
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