Much madness is divinest sense
To [a]1 discerning eye;
Much sense the starkest madness.
'Tis the majority
In this, as all, prevails.
Assent, and you are sane,
Demur, - you're straightaway dangerous,
And handled with a chain.
Available sung texts: (what is this?)
• J. Langert About the headline (FAQ)
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1 Langert : "the"
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Robert F. Baksa (b. 1938), "Much madness is divinest sense", published 1977, from Emily Dickinson Songs, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by David Horowicz (b. 1960), "Much madness is divinest sense", 1988 [ soprano, viola, mandolin, guitar ], from Five songs on poems of Emily Dickinson, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Sergius Kagen (1909 - 1964), "Much madness is divinest sense", published 1956 [ voice, clarinet or chamber orchestra ], from The Mob Within the Heart [sung text not yet checked]
- by Leon Kirchner (b. 1919), "435", 1982 [ soprano and piano ], from The Twilight Stood, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Jules Langert (b. 1932), "Much madness is divinest sense", from Three Emily Dickinson Songs, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Harris Lindenfeld (b. 1945), "Much madness is divinest sense" [ soprano, e flat clarinet, and piano ], from 3 Dickinson Songs [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Walter A. Aue) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 37
Verrücktheit, höchster Götter Sinn -
Für's Auge, das da späht -
Viel Sinn - die ärgste Tollheit -
S'ist die Majorität
die hier, wie Allem, herrscht:
Stimm' zu - dann liegst Du richtig -
Sträub' dich - dann bist' Gefahr
Und damit kettenpflichtig -
