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Lyric Poem · Peace

Lest this be Heaven indeed

by Emily Dickinson

Lest this be Heaven indeed

An Obstacle is given

That always gauges a Degree

Between Ourself and Heaven.

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

Quick facts

Poem
Lest this be Heaven indeed
Poet
Emily Dickinson
Length
4 lines
Form
Lyric Poem, Short Poems
Themes
Peace, 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
4 lines · one 4-line stanza
End rhyme
No regular perfect end rhyme. The poem may still be using slant rhyme, assonance, or internal echo, which this check does not score.
Line length
Consistent with short metre. Two short lines, one longer, one short (6.6.8.6) — the short hymn stanza.

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
PoetryDBLest this be Heaven indeed 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 d0ec3c54ecd79bb2
Editorial handling
Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.
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