"The world is too much with us" is Wordsworth's famous sonnet. It is a Petrarchan sonnet. It is a criticism of the materialistic outlook of the people. getting and spending have become the chief concern in life. People have their heart and soul to the pursuit of money. they do not appreciate the beauty of nature.  
The world is too much with us by William Wordsworth

The World is too much with us: - 

 It is a very beautiful sonnet of English romantic poet William Wordsworth. The poem is describing humankind's relationship with the materialistic world in term of loss. 
  This is a form of sonnet that concern man with nature. It composed in 1802 and first published in 1807 in the volume of “Poems in two volumes”. This poem tells us how man has lost his connection with nature due to the worldly concerns. Further we understand that this change in man has taken away their pleasures, joys, and comforts of the peaceful nature.

Meaning of the title

People are more concerned to worldly material thing.

Text of the poem

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. –Greek 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.


Glossary

Sordid = aspects of human nature, like-immorality and greed etc.

Boon = blessing

Bosom = chest

Howling to make a loud cry or sound

Sleeping flowers = here, with withered flowers

Out of tone = here, we are living fast life that ignores the beauty of nature

Pagan = a person who is totally depends on nature

Suckled = raised\

Outworn = out dated

Lea = an open grassy area

Forlorn = san

Proteus = a character in Greek mythology, who would predicts or foresee future

Triton = a sea God in Greek mythology, whose half is a man and half body was dolphin. He was famous for to blowing a horn or shell in the sea.

Wreathed = covered

 

Summary of the poem

The world is too much with us is a very beautiful poem by Wordsworth. He is a nature poet It is also a nature poem which complains that the modern age has lost its connection to the nature. The modern man is busy in earning money and spending it on material things .We have no time for nature and its beauties.  We have totally ignored nature for money and comfort. But it will prove a “sordid boon” for us. As man is also a part of nature and without it he con not fined spiritual peace. As the poet says,

Little we see in nature that is ours

The poet disliked the modern age and praises the old religion of nature worship. The ancients Greek worshipped nature in its various forms. They were better than the modern generation. Even the poet wants to be a Pagan. He wants to worship nature as God .he claims that materialistic approach of mankind has transformed human beings into senseless individuals.

Theme of the poem 

The poem is a sonnet .It written in a simple and easy language. The theme of the poem is nature. In this poem poet wants to say that nature is the best gift for human and we love her because we can find comfort in the lap of nature. Further he says, materialistic world can not give us mentally peace. It also said that its main theme should be Wordsworth’s lament at men losing their connection to natural world. The effect of industrialization and heightened desire for worldly pleasure make him modern and restless in life.

Critical appreciation

 In the critical appreciation we can learn the various aspects of this poem like that- form of the poem, figures of speech, meter, rhyming scheme imagery etc.

Form

Wordsworth wrote several varieties of poems. He composed this poem in sonnet form.” The World is too much with us “takes the form of Petrarchan sonnet. A petrarchan sonnet is divided    into to parts,-

  1. Octave
  2. Sestet

In this passage, first of all, we explained what is sonnet? And explain octave, sestet in shorts.

Sonnet: -

A sonnet is a 14 lines poem with one idea following throughout the text.There are many types of sonnets, such as petrarchan (Italian sonnet) or Shakespearean sonnet,, ( English sonnet).

Octave:-

An octave is a verse from consisting of 8 lines, which usually appear in iambic meter. The first 8 line of the sonnet is octave that starts with a question.

Sestet: -

A sestet is a six –line stanza of poetry. The term refers to the final six lines of the a sonnet such as the second part of this sonnet. And the 6 line of this part gives the answer of the above question asked by Octave.

Rhyming scheme

In this poem the octave follows a rhyme scheme of a ABBA ABBA, and the sestet follows a a rhyme scheme of CDC CDC.

Figures of speech

Wordsworth used metaphors, similes, personification, assonance and imagery in this poem.

Personification

Personification is to attribute human characteristics to non-human or even inanimate objects. In this poem ,such as example of personification.

Simile

Simile is to compare something to another thing to let the readers know what it is. In this line simile is used –“And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;”

Metaphor

There are two metaphor used in ‘The World is too much with us ‘. One of the Metaphor is in this line,-“sukled in a creed outworn.” Here creed stands for mother that nurses her child.

Imagery

Imagery increases the richness and clarity of the poem. Poet uses this device to make their poem meaningful. In this sonnet Imagery used as-“winds that will be howling”,” to the sense of touch” and Proteus rising from the sea.”

Meter

“The world is too much with us” used Iambic pentameter. It is a type of meter consisting of five iambs. Five iambs mean ten syllables.

Conclusion

Overall, the poem is well organized with appropriate diction. He is crafted this sonnet with proper consideration of music and diction and rhythm. All these qualities of this poem make it most famous poem among the readers. 


some question about the poem

  • how has materialism affected us? 

        It has made us slave to material possessions.

  • Who were Proteus and triton? 

        They were Greek and Roman Gods of nature.