Dear List,
Consider these lines from Dickinson: Much madness is divinest sense/ To a discerning eye;/ Much sense the starkest madness.
Why is there no "the" in front of "divinest sense" and why is there a "the" in front of "starkest madness"? It sounds wrong to my ear to say "Much madness is the divinest sense," and it sounds off to say "much sense starkest madness," but I don't know why this is. What is the rule I'm missing? 

Thanks,

Scott Woods

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