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Emily DickinsonWe never know how high we are
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1880A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Literary Devices
Form and Meter
Thomas Higginson called Dickinson’s verse “spasmodic;” “We never know how high we are” represents her eccentric form. The poem shares some of the features of blank verse because it’s written in a stable meter. Lines 1, 3, 5, and 7 contain eight syllables, while Lines 2, 4, 6, and 8 have six syllables. Typically, the meter of blank verse is iambic pentameter: it has ten syllables, and it lacks rhyme. Dickinson’s poem rhymes: Line 2 rhymes with Line 4, and Line 6 rhymes with Line 8.
The singular form reflects Dickinson’s uniqueness and determination to create her own conventions and rules. She has a plan. "We never know how high we are" is a carefully organized poem. It consists of two quatrains with an identifiable rhyme scheme and meter, yet the name for this form, like the meaning of heroes and heroism, is elusive. Just as the “the Cubits warp” (Line 7) people, Dickinson distorts and twists blank verse. She trims off a few syllables and adds rhyme. She makes a form that suits her.
Personification
Personification is a literary device where a thing or object possesses human traits. Dickinson uses personification to complicate the themes of heroism, humility, and potential.
In Line 4, Dickinson attaches human characteristics to “statures.” While stature could mean “height,” it might also mean “reputation.” A reputation has no feelings. It doesn’t have arms or limbs, so it can reach out and “touch the skies.” The personification of stature indicates that heroism is hard to discern. It’s not clear if a person is a hero or if they simply enjoy a heroic reputation. While it’s easy to conflate a person with their reputation, there are numerous examples of people whose reputations don’t align with their identity. For example, in “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” the “Nobody” doesn’t warrant the reputation of an insignificant person, and the “Somebody” doesn’t deserve consequential treatment.
In Line 7, personification illuminates the different meanings of “the Cubits.” Cubits aren’t people, so they can’t physically “warp” anyone. In Dickinson’s poem, Cubits turn into people with the capacity to twist and bend others. The personification of Cubits has its pros and cons. In one reading of Dickinson’s poem, the Cubits perform a helpful deed and keep people humble, preventing them from turning into terrifying, tyrannical kings. In another reading of Dickinson’s poem, the Cubits are adversaries; they limit people’s potential and prevent their rise to a magisterial domain.
Diction
Diction is a literary device where a poet communicates their point through their choice of words. In “We never know how high we are,” Dickinson conveys the religious undertones of her poem through words like “called” (Line 2), “plan” (Line 3), “skies” (Line 4), and “Cubits” (Line 7). "Called" and "plan" relate to predestination, "skies" allude to heaven, and Cubits is an Ancient Measurement that appears in the bible. “King,” too, links to the religion, since kings play a critical role in the stories in the Bible and people discuss God in terms of king and kingdom.
The simplicity of the words gives the poem a childlike quality. The longest word used by Dickinson is “Heroism,” which is four syllables. All of the other words are one or two syllables. Based on the length of the words, Dickinson’s poem looks simple, yet the message is hardly straightforward.
Diction helps Dickinson maintain the puzzling quality of the poem. She uses words with meanings that vary widely depending on the context and interpretation. Stature might mean a person’s physical height, or they could point to their reputation. A king could be something fearful or something worthy of emulation. Even the diction in the first line raises questions. People might not know how high they are because they are humble, or they might be unsure of their height because they are warped and can’t accurately gauge their position.
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