Ambiguity

Dickinson's poems often employ ambiguity. Most accomplished writers realize that to allow ambiguity to exist in their works is to invite the reader to come to their own conclusions about the meaning of the work. In this way, the reader takes part in the writing. The story or the poem is not just the author's experience—it is also a mirror reflecting the reader's life. Dickinson was aware of this, and her ability to leave things unexplained is a mark of high literary capability and understanding. In this poem, Dickinson uses many words that are ambiguous in meaning, such as "madness," "Sense," "divinest," "discerning," and "starkest."

Suggestion

Suggestion goes hand in hand with ambiguity. By using ambiguous words, Dickinson sets up an environment in which she can point to situations without completely stating them. In "Much Madness Is Divinest Sense," there is the suggestion of rebellion, although Dickinson...