Much Madness is divinest sense- Poem Analysis

Much madness is divinest sense 
By: 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.

This poem advocates a thought, that to most humans, our normal society, would deem as odd and different. The jist of lines revolves around the fact that madness is the pure essence of truth, the driving force of introspection and realism. Hence discovering one's inner self is fostered by the insanity. Madness roots are part of all our sense- it is a universal calling of self questioning and discovery. 

Note that through the poem, "madness" is neither physical anger nor the state of a psychological disorder, rather it is the uncovering of oneself, which can be tiresome and gruesome, also painful, hence the "madness." This madness also has another denotation, that is struggle. To find ones self, is often a struggle due to the plethora of thoughts that one must organize and make sense of. Hence the poem concentrates on this meaning of madness and its role within the mind- it is a positive type of madness. 

There are many symbols in the poem, first stating with the "eye. The "eye" or the being that wishes to see what a normal human struggles with must face madness. Those with a "discerning eye" are often proposed as the wise and clever, justifying their "madness." Often, as a society so obsessed with the normal actions and behavior, calls these clever people "mad" or "crazy" mistakenly. Insanity is the root of or basis of sanity. The eye can also represent a new source of light, that enters through the pupil. When we are sane, or too calm, we often bypass or are blind to the real essence of our existence...indulging in the material rather than the mind. Hence the eye, or the inner light of the mind is lost. Once we break out of this sanity, sometimes becoming insane, we can see the inner mind more clearly and analyze our stance as humans. 

The essence of life is fostered by the real madness that prevails in all, yet is hidden, or "bare in appearance". The sheerness of such madness is the majority. Thus we are concealed within the sanity of preservation of our normality that we lack an understanding of thy true self. We fear insanity only constitutes lack of understanding and has no need in a humans life. When one believes that they are "mad," they have experienced the pure essence of sanity. Without this realization, one hinders their ability to reconcile and handle life; nonetheless the face "danger"- they are trapped by a chain (this chain being the initial thoughts of sanity rather than madness). Breaking away from sanity is a positive thing as it helps uncover the underlying thoughts that itch to come out in the form of insanity. Once they are out, the mind is free.