THE WORLD IS TOO MUCH WITH US (Woven Words)

CHAPTER 5 POEM (CLASS 11 LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE)

THE WORLD IS TOO MUCH WITH US (WOVEN WORDS).

 By William Words Worth (1770 – 1850)
1. The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;

2. It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.

1. "The world is too much with us" by William Wordsworth reflects the human dependence on consumerism and materialistic efforts. The speaker is dismayed that mankind's power is wasted in such efforts and thus takes little notice of the more beautiful aspects of the natural world. Wordsworth criticises the world of the First Industrial Revolution for being absorbed in materialism and distancing itself from nature. Sordid refers to something which is dirty, vile, or selfish. Boon is something that is beneficial, helpful, or considered a blessing. The use of the two in conjunction form an oxymoron. Industrial revolution happened roughly between 1760 and 1830 and was not fully felt until the 1830's or 1840's.

2. This relationship appears to be at the mercy of mankind because of the vulnerable way nature is described. The verse "This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon", gives the vision of a woman exposed to the heavens. The phrase "sleeping flowers" might also describe how nature is being overrun unknowingly and is helpless. When Wordsworth notes that "we are out of tune," he means that we are no longer able to appreciate that our true goal should be to appreciate Nature. Industrialisation has exploited nature.

3. Clearly, Wordsworth argues that he chooses to be with "a Pagan suckled in a creed outworn,"someone who, despite having been displaced by modern man, is able to appreciate the sight of "Proteus rising from the sea" (the sun coming up) or actually hear "Triton blow his wreathed horn," that is, be so close to Nature that he can imagine a mythological being as the cause of the sound of waves. Proteus and Triton were both sea gods. The name "Proteus" is derived from the Greek word for first. That suggests to some that Proteus was the eldest son of Poseidon, older than Triton, another son of Poseidon.

Pagan here refers to irreligious person in ancient times pagans were believed to have worshiped sun God.
Creed- system of belief.
Outworn – obsolete.

4. In essence, Wordsworth uses an elegiac tone to lament that modern man spends so much time "getting and spending" that he is "out of tune" with all the beauty and mystery provided by Nature.

5. Theme of the poem -“The world is too much with us” is a sonnet by William Wordsworth, published in 1807, is one of the central figures of the English Romantic movement. The poem laments the withering connection between humankind and nature, blaming industrial society for replacing that connection with material pursuits. Industrial revolution happened in the life time of Words worth.

6. Does Wordsworth advocate paganism?

The poet believes in spiritual identity that human beings should live for the sake of doing good and not to do harm. For Wordsworth, this is seen in the "getting and spending" a condition in which traditional notions of religion have lost their meaning. He is against the idea of materialism. It is in this rejection of traditional ideas of spiritual identity where Wordsworth can be seen as advocating being a pagan.

7. What type of poetry is it?

It is Sonnet. Wordsworth's The World is Too Much With Us is a Petrarchan sonnet recognisable by the rhyme scheme and the eight/six line format.