At first, the “Gentlemen” (Line 2) symbolize something relatively uncomplicated. They represent the rulers and governors of society. As proper, powerful men, their faith and minds are of the utmost concern since they have the most authority. Thus, the speaker addresses them. The “Gentlemen” symbolize leaders, and leaders should know when to rely on intuition and when to pivot toward something more concrete.

Then again, the “Gentlemen” also represent something somewhat ridiculous. The speaker turns the common noun into a proper noun. They make up a class for the men, which suggests the men’s power is made up—that is, it’s a construct of society. These men can’t see better than others. They’re not born with greater abilities—they merely exist in a time with sharply unbalanced gender norms; prejudices that make men seem superior to other genders. Here, the “Gentlemen” symbolize sexism and the inflated, unfounded power society often assigns to men.

In a contemporary context, the “Gentlemen” could symbolize people in general. All humans, whether they’re “Gentlemen” or not, struggle with when to make a choice based on faith and when to make a decision centered on another type of reasoning. Every person could use some advice about what to do “[i]n an Emergency” (Line 4), so, in a gender-inclusive reading, “Gentlemen” symbolize humanity because people of all genders face the tension between reason and intangible emotions and convictions.