"Much Madness is divinest Sense"

"Much Madness is divinest Sense"
by Emily Dickinson

This poem is telling how a thought, suggestion or belief, if not shared by the majority, can be deemed insane. But if an idea is proposed and accepted by the majority, no matter how immoral and illogical, it will be deemed sane simply because more people support it.  If an individual agrees with the majority. he appears sensible, but if he dares to dispute, he could be seen as a traitor or an enemy.  This simple deviance from the accepted norm could cause an individual to be severely alienated, even jailed for his beliefs.
The author employs both paradox and satire in this poem to explain and critisize the workings of a majority group and the conformity of its members.  The paradox, the title, "Much Madness is divinest Sense,"  and another paradox, "Much Sense- the starkest Madness," (Dickinson, 830), describe how an idea can be perceived differently depending on how many people agree.  But this is not a good way  to determine the logic or morality of an idea.
In the case of the Salem Witch Trials and the persecution of saints, Christians, and Jews, the reasoning of the majority was severely flawed, but everyone else just went along.  And those who didn't were too shy to speak out or otherwise were jailed or persecuted themselves.