Lyric Poem · Death & Loss

How far is it to Heaven?

by Emily Dickinson

As far as Death this way —

Of River or of Ridge beyond

Was no discovery.

How far is it to Hell?

As far as Death this way —

How far left hand the Sepulchre

Defies Topography.

Full-text availability follows the United States display decision recorded below; status can differ elsewhere.

“How far is it to Heaven?” by Emily Dickinson — quilloak.com/poems/how-far-is-it-to-heaven

Quick facts

Poem: How far is it to Heaven?
Poet: Emily Dickinson
Length: 8 lines
Form: Lyric Poem, Short Poems
Themes: Death & Loss, Peace, Nature, Short

Craft notes

How this poem works

Measured from the text on this page, not copied from a summary. Counts are approximate: syllables and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, which models General American English, so dialect, older pronunciation, and performance can all change what you hear.

Shape: 8 lines · 2 quatrains
Line length: Mostly 6-syllable lines (trimeter length).
Refrain: “As far as Death this way —”Repeated lines act as the poem's hinge or drumbeat.

Want the rules this form is measured against? Read what makes a lyric poem, or run your own draft through the form checker to see the same measurements on your lines. How we measure · Report a mistake

Text, source & rights

A traceable edition

Full-text display is based on the committed source record and a United States term-expiry review.

Author record: Emily Dickinson1830–1886
Source record: PoetryDBHow far is it to Heaven? by emily-dickinson, PoetryDB transcription
Display decision: Full text · United States · reviewed 2026-07-18
Publication record: Not recorded in the imported source
Text fingerprint: SHA-256 8b14ac92d1ed0524…
Editorial handling: Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.

Jurisdiction-specific, never a worldwide claimRights policy Report a text or rights issue

Lyric Poem Short Poems Death & Loss Peace Nature Short

Keep reading

Annabel Lee

Edgar Allan Poe · 1849

It was many and many a year ago,In a kingdom by the sea,That a maiden there lived whom you may know

41 lines · ballad

Remember

Christina Rossetti · 1862

Remember me when I am gone away,Gone far away into the silent land;When you can no more hold me by the hand,

14 lines · sonnet

When I Am Dead, My Dearest (Song)

Christina Rossetti · 1862

When I am dead, my dearest,Sing no sad songs for me;Plant thou no roses at my head,

16 lines · lyric

More poems about death →