Much Madness is Divinest Sense-
Author: Emily Dickinson
About Emily Dickinson
Throughout Emily's life, she has been very different than others and very secluded. By her mid twenties she stayed in her family house and had almost no social contact with the outside. Emily was often called "mad" throughout her lifetime and after her death. In reality, she chose to not to follow the majority, she chose art over society, and she freed herself from responsibilities. With her physical, seclusion she expanded her mind in the poetry field allowing for her to write incredibly deep poems. In this poem, she is saying it's okay to be mad because being mad is better than following the majority.
Much Madness is divinest Sense-- Emily Dickinson
Much Madness is divinest Sense -
To a discerning Eye -
Much Sense - the starkest Madness -
’Tis the Majority
In this, as all, prevail -
Assent - and you are sane -
Demur - you’re straightway dangerous -
And handled with a Chain -
Terms
Divinest Sense- Seclusion is her sanest choice
Sane- Normal, just like everyone else
Demur- Not be like the majority
"Handled with a chain"- Violence, more than a loss of freedom
"Much Madness is Divinest Sense"- its better to be mad because being mad is divine