Emily Dickinson is a well-known American poet whose work often explores themes of death, immortality, and the afterlife. In many of her poems, Dickinson contemplates what heaven might be like and what it means to be in the presence of God.
One of Dickinson's most famous poems about heaven is "Because I Could Not Stop for Death." In this poem, Death is personified as a gentleman who comes to take the speaker on a journey to the afterlife. As they ride in a carriage, the speaker reflects on the events of her life, from childhood to adulthood, and wonders what lies ahead in the next world. The final stanza of the poem reveals that the speaker has arrived at her final destination: "We slowly drove - He knew no haste / And I had put away / My labor and my leisure too, / For His Civility - / We passed the School, where Children strove / At Recess - in the Ring - / We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain - / We passed the Setting Sun - / Or rather - He passed us - / The Dews drew quivering and chill - / For only Gossamer, my Gown - / My Tippet - only Tulle - / We paused before a House that seemed / A Swelling of the Ground - / The Roof was scarcely visible - / The Cornice - in the Ground - / Since then - 'tis Centuries - and yet / Feels shorter than the Day / I first surmised the Horses' Heads / Were toward Eternity - "
In this poem, heaven is depicted as a place where time stands still and the soul rests in the presence of God. The speaker's journey to heaven is described in peaceful and gentle terms, with Death acting as a kind and courteous guide. The imagery of the "Swelling of the Ground" and the "Roof" that is "scarcely visible" suggests that heaven is a place of great beauty and majesty, beyond the reach of mortal understanding.
Another poem by Dickinson that explores the theme of heaven is "I died for Beauty - but was scarce." In this poem, the speaker reflects on the fleeting nature of life and the eternal nature of beauty. The speaker tells the reader that they died for beauty, but that their time on earth was too short to fully appreciate it. The poem ends with the lines: "So Heaven - found - me - when the Day / Put out the Heart - it bore - / The Heart - dissolve - and dusk - be on - / And I - be as before - / Except the Heaven - be more - Heaven - / And I - in it - Thee - "
Here, heaven is depicted as a place where the soul is reunited with God and where the beauty that was once fleeting on earth is eternal. The image of the heart "dissolving" suggests the passing away of the physical body and the transcendence of the soul into the next world.
In conclusion, Emily Dickinson's poetry often contemplates the nature of heaven and the afterlife. Through her use of imagery and personification, Dickinson portrays heaven as a place of great beauty and peace, where the soul rests in the presence of God.