• O Beauteous God! uncircumscribèd treasure
    Of an eternal pleasure!
    Thy throne is seated far
    Above the highest star,
    Where thou preparest a glorious place,
    Within the brightness of thy face,
    For every spirit
    To inherit
    That builds his hopes upon thy merit,
    And loves thee with a holy charity.
    What ravished heart,...

  • Beyond these chilling winds and gloomy skies,
      Beyond death’s cloudy portal,
    There is a land where beauty never dies,
      Where love becomes immortal;

    A land whose life is never dimmed by shade,
      Whose fields are ever vernal;
    Where nothing beautiful can ever fade,
      But blooms for aye eternal.

    We may know how sweet its balmy...

  • There is a land of pure delight,
      Where saints immortal reign;
    Infinite day excludes the night,
      And pleasures banish pain.

    There everlasting spring abides,
      And never-withering flowers;
    Death, like a narrow sea, divides
      This heavenly land from ours.

    Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood
      Stand dressed in living...

  • Except the Heaven had come so near —

    So seemed to choose My Door —

    The Distance would not haunt me so —

    I had not hoped — before —


    But just to hear the Grace depart —

    I never thought to see —

    Afflicts me with a Double loss —

    'Tis lost — and lost to me —

  • Except to Heaven, she is nought.

    Except for Angels — lone.

    Except to some wide-wandering Bee

    A flower superfluous blown.


    Except for winds — provincial.

    Except by Butterflies

    Unnoticed as a single dew

    That on the Acre lies.


    The smallest Housewife in the grass,
    ...

  • Going to Heaven!

    I don't know when —

    Pray do not ask me how!

    Indeed I'm too astonished

    To think of answering you!

    Going to Heaven!

    How dim it sounds!

    And yet it will be done

    As sure as flocks go home at night

    Unto the Shepherd's arm!


    Perhaps you're...

  • "Heaven" has different Signs — to me —

    Sometimes, I think that Noon

    Is but a symbol of the Place —

    And when again, at Dawn,


    A mighty look runs round the World

    And settles in the Hills —

    An Awe if it should be like that

    Upon the Ignorance steals —


    The Orchard, when the...

  • 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.

  • I went to Heaven —

    'Twas a small Town —

    Lit — with a Ruby —

    Lathed — with Down —


    Stiller — than the fields

    At the full Dew —

    Beautiful — as Pictures —

    No Man drew.

    People — like the Moth —

    Of Mechlin — frames —

    Duties — of Gossamer —

    And...

  • I've known a Heaven, like a Tent —

    To wrap its shining Yards —

    Pluck up its stakes, and disappear —

    Without the sound of Boards

    Or Rip of Nail — Or Carpenter —

    But just the miles of Stare —

    That signalize a Show's Retreat —

    In North America —


    No Trace — no Figment of the...