The world is too Much with Us

About the poet

William Wordsworth (1770-1850) is one of the greatest romantic poets. He expresses his true feelings for nature and intense love for the simplicity of rustic life in his writing. He wrote ‘Lyrical Ballads’ in collaboration with S. T. Coleridge, and made a significant change that started the Romantic Movement in English Literature.

About the poem

• “The World is Too Much with Us” is a sonnet by William Wordsworth, composed in 1802 and published in 1807. In this poem, the poet depicts how human beings are trapped by materialism, and they fail to appreciate the beauty of nature. 

• The poet wrote this poem to tell how Industrialization takes us far from nature.

• It depicts the theme of materialism, nature, and disconnection from nature.

• Setting: The poet is standing on a grassland and looking at the sea beach.

• Tone: It is written in a Frustrated tone.

• Form: The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet which is formed of fourteen lines, and its meter is iambic pentameter. The poem follows a rhyme scheme of abba abba for the octave and cdcdcd for the sestet.

Substance

In the sonnet ‘The world is too much with us’, the poet criticizes the world of the first industrial revolution for being absorbed in materialism that takes human beings far from nature. He says that human beings have been a burden to nature. They run after money, fame, and name, and they are busy getting and spending. They are running behind unseen and artificial pleasure and they don’t find real pleasure and beauty in the materialistic world. They have destroyed a vital part of our humanity and lost the ability to connect with and find tranquility in nature. For them, nature is little and incomplete and does not offer pleasure. The poet believes that they have given their hearts away in exchange for money, materials, and wealth that bring a sordid boon.
The sea reflects the moonlight on its surface, and the peaceful, momentarily windless night is like dropping flowers whose petals are folded up in the cold. These are the rhythms of the natural world that cannot amaze human beings. As they are out of tune to realize the beauty of nature. The poet becomes dissatisfied with the materialistic world, and wishes to be a pagan so that standing on the pleasant meadow he can observe the beautiful seashore. It would make him a little less lonely. Similarly, looking at the sea he could see Proteus rising from the sea or could hear the blow of Triton that would cheer him greatly.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. William Wordsworth mentions the names of two gods who are- a)Juno and Flora b)Proteus and Cupid c)Psyche and Triton d)Proteus and Triton

2. William Wordsworth expresses his –a)dissatisfaction with the way people live their lives b)satisfaction with the way people live their lives c)joy for achievement d)frustration for his beloved

3. The poet compares the wind to –a) sleeping flowers b)a child c)a chum d)a gull

4. The Sea shows her ________ to the moon.- a)Anger b)tides c)bosom d)waves

5. In World is Too Much with Us the poet wishes to be —a)A bird b)a Pagan c) Triton d) Proteus

6. In ‘The World is Too Much with Us’ William Wordsworth is sad for –a)the lack of harmony between human beings and Nature b)the harmony between human beings and Nature c)his inability to write d) his friend

7.’Lyrical Ballad’ was published in –a)1981 b)1798 c)1878 d)1708

8. The poem ‘World is Too Much with Us ‘ is a-a) lyric b)ballad c)sonnet d)epic

9. In the poem William Wordsworth was standing on –a)the bridge b)the pleasant lea c) the ground d)a cot

10. In the poem ‘World is Too Much with Us’ the poet criticizes –a) the natural disaster b) the world of materialism c) the lonely world of birds d) the spiritual world

11. William Wordsworth belonged to –a) the Romantic Age b) the Victorian Age c) the Modern Age d) the Elizabethan Age

12. Proteus is —a)a fish-tailed Greek sea god b)a Greek sea god who can change forms at will c) Triton’s friend d) an angel of King

Questions along with Answers

1. What is the meaning of the phrase “The world is too much with us”?

Ans: The phrase “The world is too much with us” means the beauty of nature is too enormous to be appreciated by human beings. Again, it also means that the materialistic world is a burden for human beings. So, it can be said that there is an ambiguity in the meaning of this phrase.

2. How do human beings waste their powers?

Ans: Human beings run after name, fame, and money and become busy getting what they desire and spending what they have to gain materialistic joy. This way they get themselves engrossed in artificial pleasure and far from nature. So they waste their powers of getting real pleasure which is in the lap of nature.

3. What will the winds be doing at all hours?

Ans: The winds will be howling at all hours.

4. How are the winds up-gathered now?

Ans: The winds are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers.

5. Where does Wordsworth stand in the poem The World is Too Much with Us?

Ans: The poet stands on a grassland in the poem The World is Too Much with Us.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. What does the poet mean by Pagan’? Why does he wish to be a Pagan?

Ans: Pagans are non-Christian rural folk of Southern Europe. They worship the supreme power and submit themselves to him. They are far from modernization, but enjoy the simplicity and purity of rustic life in the lap of nature.

 According to the poet, Nature is the only source of joy and peace, but people are disconnected from Nature due to urbanization, industrialization, and modernization. The poet does not want to run after name, fame, and money as others do. He wants to be far from a life in which he has to be busy ‘getting and Spending.’ He wishes to enjoy the simplicity of rural life and the grandeur of nature. So he wishes to become a Pagan. He believes that he may be able to observe some sights while standing on the pleasant lea this way. The sights would make him less lonely. He thinks he may see Proteus coming out of the sea or Triton blowing his conch shell. The poet’s wish to be a Pagan highlights the poet’s intense desire to be connected with nature.

2. Who are Triton and Proteus?

Ans: In Greek mythology, Triton is a god of the sea. He has the tail of a fish and the upper body of a man. He has a conch shell that he blows to calm or excite sea waves.

In Greek mythology, Proteus is a god of the sea. He can change his shape according to his will if he is asked to foretell anyone’s future. He can make a prophecy, but he does not like to do it.

3.“We are out of tune”-What does the poet mean to say by this line? Why do humans become out of tune?

Ans:- “We are out of tune”- The poet wants to say that. humans sing at the wrong pitch with nature. This line highlights that humans are not in the right frame of mind to appreciate the beauty of nature.

Human beings are so busy earning money and spending it to fulfill their needs. They run after materialism, but ignore the beauty of nature. So they are not able to appreciate nature and cannot find the right pitch to sing the song of nature.

4. What does the sea symbolize in the poem ‘World is too much with us”?

Ans: In the poem ‘World is too much with us, the sea symbolizes the vulnerable condition of nature. The exposure of the sea to the moon highlights how Mother Nature is open to all. She can face some dangers because of those people who are greedy and obsessed with modernity and materialism.

Identify the figure of speech:

 1. “The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending.”-Antithesis

 2. “We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!”-Oxymoron

 3. “This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon”.-Personification

 4. “And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers”.-Personification

 5. “For this, for everything, we are out of tune”.-Pun

 6.  “Sea that bares bosom to the moon;”-Personification

 7. “The winds that will be howling at all hours,”-Personification

 8. “Sleeping flowers”-Personification

Exercise

A. Answer each of the following questions in a complete sentence :

1. What does the poet mean by ‘getting and spending’?

2. Why is the poet dissatisfied with the way of human beings? What made a great distance between man and nature?

3. Who is Triton? What does old Triton blow?

4. What do you mean by ‘Pagan’? Why does the poet want to be a Pagan?

5.“We are out of tune”-What does the poet mean to say in this line?

6. What did the poet call a ‘sordid boon’?

7. What does the poet mean by “Suckled in a creed outworn”?

8. “Little we see in Nature” -Why does man see ‘little in nature’ according to the poet?

9. What does the phrase ‘late and soon’ mean?

10. What will make the poet less forlorn?

B. Answer each of the following questions in about 80 words:

1. What is the central idea of “The world is too much with us”?

2. In “The World Is Too Much with Us,” what are the glimpses that make the poet “less forlorn”?

3. Why do you think the speaker would “rather be / A Pagan” in “The World is Too Much with Us” by William Wordsworth?

4. ‘Little we see in Nature that is ours’.-explain it.

5. What did the poet see while standing on the pleasant lea? Who were Triton and Proteus?

6.“This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon

     The winds that will be howling at all hours” …explain.

7. What did Wordsworth wish for in the sestet of the poem ‘The World is Too Much with Us’? How does Wordsworth make use of allusions to Greek mythology?

8. How does Wordsworth criticize the materialistic world in “The World is Too Much with Us”?

9. How does Wordsworth portray his theme of ‘communion with nature’ in “The World Is Too Much with Us”?

10. Justify the aptness of the title “The world is too much with us”.

C. Identify the figure of speech:

 1. “The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending.”

 2. “We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!”

 3. “This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon”.

 4. “And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers”.

 5. “For this, for everything, we are out of tune”.

 6.  “Sea that bares bosom to the moon;”

 7. “The winds that will be howling at all hours,”

 8. “Sleeping flowers”

Textual Grammar

 D. Do as directed:

 a)The poet says, “I’d rather be a pagan suckled in a creed outworn.”(Change the narration)

 b)We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon. (Split into two sentences)

 c)For this, for everything we are out of tune. (Split into two sentences)

 d)The poet says, “The winds that will be howling at all hours and are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers.”(Change the narration)

 e)Little do we see of nature that is ours. (Correct the errors)

Word-Meaning: 

♦bares-shows, ♦bosom-chest, ♦howling-blows fiercely making a sound, ♦Pagan-Non-Christian, ♦suckled-nourished, ♦creed-set of religions, ♦outworn-outdated,♦ tune-melody or song ♦lea-meadows, ♦glimpses-sights, ♦forlorn-lonely, ♦Pagan-Non-Christian, ♦Proteus-the Greek Sea -God who can make prophecy though he does not like to do it. When he is asked to predict anyone’s future, he changes shapes. ♦Triton- fish-tailed Greek Sea God who has a conch shell that he blows into to calm or excite the sea. ♦wreathed -decorated, ♦horn-conch shell