Much Madness is Divinest Sense

assent- agree
stark-extreme
discerning- discriminating
divine- god like
 demur- object

Much Madness is god like Sense --
To a discriminating Eye --
Much Sense -- the extreme Madness --
'Tis the Majority
In this, as All, prevail --
agree -- and you are sane --
disagree-- you're straightway dangerous --
And handled with a Chain --

madness is everywhere and to be called sane you must agree 

with the majority and if you do not then you are insane and 

considered hazardous. to be normal in the world you have to 

stay out of the way and not object to anything. i think Emily 

Dickinson in saying that you should demur even though there will 

be consequences. I think this because she says that much sense 

is the starkest madness so that what the majority considers sane 

is actually very insane. I think she is making a statement to 

make your own path instead of following others.