What does Emily Dickenson mean is We Never Know How High We Are?

Question:I don't understnad the poem at all, i love it though. It's prett & i really like reading it, but what does it mean!??!?!

Here's the part i need to understand:

We never know how high we are
Till we are called to rise;
And then, if we are true to plan,
Our statures touch the skies-

The heroism we recite
Would be a daily thing,,
Did not outselves the Cubits warp
For fear to be a king.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I don't understnad the poem at all, i love it though. It's prett & i really like reading it, but what does it mean!??!?!

Here's the part i need to understand:

We never know how high we are
Till we are called to rise;
And then, if we are true to plan,
Our statures touch the skies-

The heroism we recite
Would be a daily thing,,
Did not outselves the Cubits warp
For fear to be a king.

I believe the message of the first stanza is that we all have the potential for greatness, but we never know how great we can be until we are "called to rise" -- that is, when the situation demands it, when we are needed.

Now for the second stanza, we would see heroes around us every day except for one thing: we diminish ourselves, we refuse to see our own greatness, because we are afraid of our own power. That's what the "cubits warp" part means. Cubits are a unit of measure. We "warp" or distort our own measure, falsely believing we are smaller and weaker than we are, out of fear of what would happen if we actually realized our true potential in life.

I think it's true. We all have the potential to be great but we are afraid to reach for the skies, partly because we're afraid of the responsiblity greatness brings. We are afraid to be kings.

Too bad that the title of it would make a lot of people laugh nowadays because it makes you think of being high on drugs. :) Otherwise, they'd probably teach it in school more often.

I think it means we never know the depth of our character until we are called to overcome something. In doing so our status or worth increases. But the heroism of overcoming would be a daily thing, if we didn't put ourselves down (the cubits or inches warp) for fear of accepting that we are worthy as are our deeds. That's my interpretation tho may be wrong

Never know where the pinnacle is before the decline.