Quote by Emily Dickinson

"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 ourselves the cubits warp For fear to be a king."

— Emily Dickinson, from Aspiration

3 likes

More quotes by Emily Dickinson

"And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering; And then, to go to sleep; And then,…" from The heart asks pleasure first

"And thus, without a wing, Or service of a keel, Our summer made her light escape Into the beautiful." from As imperceptibly as grief

"I'M nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?" from I'm nobody! Who are you?

"I'M nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too? Then there's a pair of us—don't tell! They'd banish us, you know." from I'm nobody! Who are you?

"Life is but life, and death but death! Bliss is but bliss and breath but breath! And if, indeed, I fail, At least to kn…" from Rouge gagne

"And neigh like Boanerges; Then, punctual as a star, Stop—docile and omnipotent— At its own stable door." from The Railway Train

"THERE is no frigate like a book To take us lands away, Nor any coursers like a page Of prancing poetry. This traverse m…" from A Book

"I NEVER hear the word "escape" Without a quicker blood, A sudden expectation, A flying attitude. I never hear of priso…" from Escape

"When everything that ticked has stopped, And space stares, all around, Or grisly frosts, first autumn morns, Repeal the…" from It was not death, for I stood up

"I know some lonely houses off the road" from The Lonely House

All quotes by Emily Dickinson →

Read the full poem →

Read this quote by Emily Dickinson from "Aspiration". Discover more inspiring quotes and poetry on The Poet's Place.