How far is it to Heaven?
How far is it to Heaven? 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.
Emily Dickinson
How far is it to Heaven? 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.
In just eight lines, Emily Dickinson asks a straightforward question—How far to Heaven?—and gives an answer that is both exact and impossible. Heaven is exactly as far away as death, she says, and no living person can scout the rivers or ridges that might lie beyond.
Read the full summary