Going to Heaven!: Themes & Linking Poems

Heaven and the Afterlife

The poem explores the theme of heaven and the afterlife, presenting a vivid depiction of the speaker’s longing for heaven.
This theme can be linked to other Dickinson poems such as “Because I could not stop for Death” and “The world is not conclusion”.

Dickinson interrogates the concept of uncertainty versus certainty. Her speaker expresses both fear and enthusiasm for what lies beyond death.
Similar themes of uncertainty and questions about faith are present in “Some keep the Sabbath going to church”.

The theme of inner journey or personal transformation is evident in the speaker’s thoughtful contemplation about heaven.
This theme resonates with other poems of Dickinson like “Wild nights – Wild nights!”

“Going to Heaven!” - This line reflects the speaker’s excitement and eagerness about Heaven.
“I’m glad I don’t believe it / For it would stop my breath” - This quote highlights the paradoxical fear and anticipation of the speaker regarding Heaven.

Emily Dickinson (1830- 1886), is a renowned American poet renowned for her themes of death, immortality and the human psyche.
She lived much of her life in seclusion and her poems reflect her introspective nature and exploration of deep philosophical questions.
“Going to Heaven!” was published posthumously like most of her poems. Its year of composition is uncertain, like many of her works.
The poem pertains to Dickinson’s Puritan heritage and her own complex perspective on religion, faith and the afterlife.
Dickinson’s personal understanding and experience of death, marked by the loss of significant people in her life, might have contributed to her in-depth exploration of the afterlife.
The anticipation, fear and eventual acceptance of death in the poem are a commentary on the socio-cultural beliefs about mortality and the afterlife during Dickinson’s time.