Summary of The World Is Too Much With Us by William Wordsworth

The World is Too Much With Us by William Wordsworth

Summary of the Poem

William Wordsworth's poem "The World is Too Much With Us" is a powerful lament for the loss of connection to nature and the dangers of materialism. The speaker of the poem expresses his deep concern about the way that people have become too obsessed with their daily lives and too focused on material possessions to appreciate the beauty of the natural world.

This disconnection from nature, the speaker believes, has led to a loss of meaning and purpose in life. He contrasts the mundane and artificial world of materialism with the beauty of nature, describing the sea, the wind, and the flowers as wonders that we are now out of tune with.

In the final lines of the poem, the speaker imagines himself as a pagan, standing on a meadow by the sea, where he could witness the mythological sea gods Proteus and Triton. These mythical images represent a connection to nature and spirituality that the speaker believes is missing from the modern world.

Wordsworth's poem is a reminder that we need to take time to appreciate the beauty of nature and to reconnect with the natural world. He believed that nature is essential for our well-being and that our disconnection from it is having a negative impact on our lives.

Line by Line Explanation of the Poem

Lines 1-2

"The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers; —"

In these lines, the speaker suggests that people are constantly busy with their daily lives, too focused on material things, and neglecting nature. The phrase "late and soon" means that this obsession with materialism has been a problem in the past and will continue to be a problem in the future. We're always trying to earn money only to spend it quickly, wasting our time, energy, and abilities on superficial things.

Lines 3-4

"Little we see in Nature that is ours;

We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!"

The speaker regrets that we fail to appreciate the beauty of nature, which belongs to everyone. People have disconnected from nature, and instead, they have devoted their hearts to material possessions. The term "sordid boon" suggests that this excessive focus on material things has become distasteful and unpleasant.

Lines 5-8

"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;

<-p> For this, for everything, we are out of tune;"

The speaker describes the wonders of nature that we often ignore. The sea, which exposes itself to the moon, and the winds that usually howl all day are now calm and quiet like sleeping flowers. Despite these beautiful natural scenes, people are not in harmony with nature anymore. They've lost their connection to it.

Lines 9-10

"It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be

A pagan suckled in a creed outworn;"

The speaker laments that nature no longer moves or touches us deeply. He expresses a strong desire to be like an ancient pagan who followed an outdated but nature-centered belief system. He prefers this over the materialistic world he sees today.

Lines 11-14

"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 wreathèd horn."

In these lines, the speaker imagines himself standing in a beautiful open meadow near the sea. He hopes that by gazing at the sea and the sky, he could feel less lonely and sad. He even envisions seeing two mythical figures, Proteus rising from the sea (a shapeshifting sea god) and Triton blowing his horn (a sea god's son who controls the waves). These mythical images represent a connection to nature and spirituality that would bring him comfort and joy.