19 pages • 38 minutes read
Much Madness is divinest Sense—
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Symbols & Motifs
The Eye
The “discerning Eye” (Line 2) symbolizes good judgment––it’s what allows the speaker to separate the “Madness” from the “divinest Sense” (Line 1). Senselessness and sensibleness can be tricky to tell apart, so a person has to cultivate a keen view of the world. Through the eye, the person sees what’s logical and irrational. They understand that bewildering behavior can be reasonable and that rational behavior can be ridiculous.
As the eye is a symbol, a person doesn’t have to literally see to see sense from “madness.” The canonized 17th-century English poet John Milton battled eyesight issues throughout his life and eventually lost the capacity to see. In his works, Milton argued that he possessed a deeper, inner light that allowed him to see the folly of his contemporaries who criticized his views on censorship, divorce, politics, and an array of other issues. Thus, good judgment isn’t necessarily something someone can acquire or learn: It’s a gift that a person possesses or lacks. Like Milton, Dickinson’s speaker has the elusive “discerning Eye,” so they know senselessness when they see it, and they know sense when they see it.
The Majority
As “the Majority” (Line 4) doesn’t possess a discerning eye, they lack good judgment and symbolize inferiority to the nonconformist. The majority labels a person preposterous based on whether they conform to the status quo. Their determinations don’t center on thought or discernment but on a reductive binary, “Assent — and you are sane — / Demur — you’re straightway dangerous —” (Lines 6-7).
The majority’s inferiority ironically gives them power and helps them “prevail” (Line 5). Unburdened by critical thinking, their simplistic worldview creates an easy paradigm for many people to follow. As long as a person obeys the status quo, they don’t have to worry about sense or senselessness. The definitions get outsourced to the multitude of followers, who can then gang up on the person who sees things differently. Thus, Conformity Versus Singularity is also about superiority versus inferiority. Unable to wrap their heads around the elevated conduct of the singular individual, the majority punishes them for living a unique life. In other words, they penalize them for acting intelligently.
The Chain
If a person deviates from the majority, they’re “handled with a Chain” (Line 8), so the chain symbolizes a type of punishment. When a person stands out, the majority penalizes them. They restrict and oppress the nonconformist, as the extraordinary person represents someone who’s “straightway dangerous” (Line 7). To prevent the singular individual from harming the status quo, the majority takes away their freedom. They lock them up so the person doesn’t harm the multitude and potentially inflict their iconoclastic attitude upon them.
The symbolism behind the chain connects to the symbolism behind the majority. As the majority is “inferior,” they are reactive and crude. Instead of trying to understand the unique individual, they skip directly to punishment. The majority doesn’t want their binary understanding upset, and they’re unwilling or unable to adjust their status quo—anyone who challenges them gets penalized. The chain symbolizes vengeful and spiteful punishment, a product of the unsophisticated majority.
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