"Much Madness is divinest Sense"
Emily Dickinson
The motivation behind this poem comes from society's expectations and definitions of sanity. It's short, brief statement reveals a much larger truth. Dickinson is calling into question the idea that society is the body that judges what is correct through the minds of the majority. "'Tis the Majority/ In this, as All, prevail-" (Dickinson, 830). With this aphorism, Dickinson reveals the truth that society dictates what is acceptable. All the beliefs of the majority are what are acceptable and to be the leading form of thought. If an individual chooses to accept this general truth, "you are sane," (Dickinson, 830). However, if one is to reject the common beliefs, "you're straightway dangerous," (Dickinson, 830).
With knowledge of the meaning of this poem, the reader cannot help but to connect it with the life of Emily Dickinson. She was often declared mad in her lifetime, and these declarations continued even after her death. Her retreat from society, though, allowed her to observe society from an outsider's perspective. Ergo, she was able to comment and critique the workings and interactions of a society of which she was once a part.
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