Heaven Poems

Bards of Passion and of Mirth

by John Keats

‘Bards of Passion and of Mirth’ by John Keats is one of the poet’s early odes. In it, Keats confirms that bards, or authors, have two souls, with one rising to heaven, and the other staying on earth.

Keat's imagining of heaven is highly original, and it represents a mish-mash of Greek, Roman, and Christian ideas of the afterlife. The poet's focus on how storytellers, such as playwrights and poets, all go to heaven to learn divine truths, which they can disseminate to other people on earth, is also inspiring for writers and poets.

    Bards of Passion and of Mirth,  

Ye have left your souls on earth!  

Have ye souls in heaven too,  

Doubled-lived in regions new?  

Explore more poems about Heaven

In Heaven

by Stephen Crane

‘In Heaven’ by Stephen Crane offers a parable-like anecdote that contrasts humility with self-righteous pride. It also challenges religion and those the poet’s speaker deemed hypocritical.

Heaven is an important topic in this poem. It presents a vision of what awaits the faithful who find themselves there. The poem borrows heavily from biblical descriptions of a throne but also uses symbolism to emphasize humankind’s minuteness.

‘Twas the old — road — through pain—

by Emily Dickinson

‘Twas the old — road — through pain—’ by Emily Dickinson describes a woman’s path from life to death and her entrance into Heaven. 

The main character makes it pretty clear in this Dickinson poem that she hopes she's going to end up in Heaven when she dies.

Gradatim

by Josiah Gilbert Holland

‘Gradatim’ by Josiah Gilbert Holland is a poem about the lifetime of work it takes to climb the ladder to Heaven. One needs to dedicate themselves to a life of good deeds to reach God. 

Reaching Heaven and spending the afterlife by God's side is the central focus of this poem. The speaker knows that it takes a great deal of effort to climb the metaphorical ladder to Heaven.

Nobility

by Alice Cary

‘Nobility’ by Alice Cary is a straightforward, inspirational poem about where honor and nobility truly come from. 

The five-stanzas imply that if one lives their life this way, they'll be right in the eyes of God and therefore make their way to Heaven.

The Eternal Goodness

by John Greenleaf Whittier

‘The Eternal Goodness’ by John Greenleaf Whittier is a relatively unknown 19th-century poem that explores religious themes and the various ways that God’s love comes through. 

Heaven is another alluded-to topic in this piece. The poet expresses several times how he feels incredibly safe knowing that God is protecting him wherever he goes. This likely holds true for his perception of the afterlife.

Apostate

by Léonie Adams

Apostate’ by Léonie Adams describes the freedom a speaker sees in the joyful stars and how she aches to live as they do. 

Birches

by Robert Frost

‘Birches’ is one of the most famous, admired, and thoughtful Robert Frost poems. The poem profoundly describes something simple, an ordinary incident, in elevated terms.

Consumption

by William Cullen Bryant

‘Consumption’ by William Cullen Bryant describes the fast-approaching death of a tuberculosis patient and her path to heaven. 

De Profundis

by Christina Rossetti

‘De Profundis’ by Christina Rossetti describes a speaker’s longing for heaven, and the impossibility of reaching it during one’s lifetime. 

Holy Sonnet II

by John Donne

‘Holy Sonnet II’ by John Donne is the second in a series of religious sonnets that Donne is well-known for. This poem is directed to God and explores a speaker’s concerns about their fate. 

Holy Sonnet IX

by John Donne

‘Holy Sonnet IX’ by John Donne, also known by its first line ‘If poisonous minerals, and if that tree’ is one of several “Holy Sonnets” the poet composed during his lifetime. This particular poem focuses on a dispute between the speaker and God.

I did not reach Thee

by Emily Dickinson

‘I did not reach Thee’ by Emily Dickinson is a complex poem about a speaker’s journey through life. She expresses both optimism and hesitation in the face of her death and attempts to reach God. 

Lucifer in Starlight

by George Meredith

‘Lucifer in Starlight’ describes Lucifer’s power, past, attempted ascent from Hell back into Heaven, and the sights seen along the way. 

Mad Girl’s Love Song

by Sylvia Plath

‘Mad Girl’s Love Song’ by Sylvia Plath explores the truth of a relationship. The speaker wonders how deep and meaningful it really was.

Mad Song

by William Blake

‘Mad Song’ by William Blake describes the intense madness a speaker feels and the frantic pain that accompanies the dawning of a new day.

No Coward Soul Is Mine

by Emily Brontë

‘No Coward Soul Is Mine’ by Emily Brontë describes a speaker’s overwhelming passion for God and the strength she is able to draw from her faith. 

October, 1803

by William Wordsworth

‘October, 1803’ by William Wordsworth describes England’s fear over an expected French invasion and how the speaker sees the world being transformed.

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