🌊 The World Is Too Much with Us – William Wordsworth
✍️ Poet Introduction
William Wordsworth (1770–1850) was a leading Romantic poet who emphasized the spiritual power of nature and the dangers of materialism. Along with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, he published Lyrical Ballads, which began the Romantic Movement in English literature.
Wordsworth believed:
Nature nourishes the human soul
Industrial civilization corrupts human values
Poetry should use simple language
📜 Original Poem (Public Domain)
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;
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;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.
📖 Line-by-Line Explanation
“The world is too much with us; late and soon,”
People are always busy with worldly matters—past, present, and future.
“Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;”
Materialism (earning and spending money) wastes our spiritual energy.
“Little we see in Nature that is ours;”
We fail to connect emotionally with nature.
“We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!”
We have sold our hearts for material gain. (“Sordid boon” = shameful gift)
“This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;”
The sea is personified as exposing itself to the moon.
“The winds that will be howling at all hours,”
Nature is alive and dynamic.
“And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;”
The winds are calm now, compared to flowers resting.
“For this, for everything, we are out of tune;”
Humans are spiritually disconnected from nature.
“It moves us not.—Great God! I’d rather be”
Nature no longer inspires us. The poet expresses frustration.
“A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;”
He would rather belong to ancient pagan religion than modern society.
“So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,”
Standing in a meadow.
“Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;”
He wants spiritual visions to reduce loneliness.
“Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;”
Reference to Proteus (Greek sea-god).
“Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.”
Reference to Triton, another sea-god.
🎯 Main Themes
Criticism of Industrial Society
Longing for Myth and Imagination
Romantic Love for Nature
📝 MCQs (Exam-Oriented)
1. The poem is a:
A. Ballad
B. Sonnet
C. Ode
D. Epic
Answer: B (Petrarchan Sonnet)
2. “Getting and spending” refers to:
A. Education
B. War
C. Materialism
D. Travel
Answer: C
3. The rhyme scheme of the octave is:
A. ABAB CDCD
B. ABBA ABBA
C. AABB CCDD
D. ABAB ABAB
Answer: B
4. Proteus and Triton belong to:
A. Roman mythology
B. Norse mythology
C. Greek mythology
D. Indian mythology
Answer: C
5. The tone of the poem is:
A. Comic
B. Satirical
C. Critical and melancholic
D. Joyful
Answer: C
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