"Much Madness is divinest Sense"

                Though the poem is very brief, Emily Dickinson’s “Much Madness is divinest Sense” seems to serve as a quick overview of psychology. Certainly most, if not all, people would agree that “sane” is an adjective which describes people who devise reasonable, logical, and rational solutions to everyday problems. On the other hand, those who ascribed as being “mad” are those who plot highly unusual or unconventional schemes in order to overcome difficulties in their lives. However, in this poem, Dickinson challenges the idea that sanity is in fact sane and that madness is in fact crazy, or “wrong.” The line in the poem which I personally found to be the most powerful was Dickinson’s remark that “In this, as All, prevail—“ (Dickinson, 830). Despite the fact that his passage is very short, the intent of Dickinson’s jab is clear—whether right or wrong, accurate or inaccurate, the general idea, principle, or approach which is adopted by a greater majority of people is the method which is described as being “right.” Rather than simply accepting that all people are capable of developing their own personal responses to challenges, successes, and general experiences of life, humans seem to have a tendency to reproach and condemn any opinions or actions which differ from the norm. However, with this brief poem, Dickinson makes the argument that determining the sanity or insanity of an argument or conviction based solely on the number of people who believe the idea is not sufficient enough. Rather, Dickinson argues, perhaps those whose ideas appear to be the maddest are in fact among the very few sane people of the world; likewise, those who are typically seen as sane might truly being the ones who are insane in the judgment of a “discerning eye” (Dickinson, 830).

                With the last line of the poem, Dickinson even goes as far as to hint that those who are viewed as insane and who differ with the majority opinion are, in some regards, forced to wear a metaphorical chain. In other words, those whose convictions differ from others’ are bound and limited by these differences rather than allowed to excel. Therefore, Dickinson’s poem transforms from a simple lament to a challenge to the reader to question whether or not their ideas and beliefs are truly sane or mad and if the fear of advocating ideas different than those of the majority prevents one from supporting the convictions which are most important to them. When others are forced to either abandon their ideals in order to feel included or be isolated because of their beliefs, the gruesome task of alienation is successfully completed.