William Wordsworth

In “The world is too much with us” by William Wordsworth, I can really see Wordsworth’s passion for nature. In the sonnet, he is frustrated with the world and the way people now view nature. The world has fallen away from nature and moved more towards materialism and getting and spending. In the first 8 lines of the sonnet, Wordsworth explains and gives reasons why he thinks that humanity has fallen away from nature. He explains that people are “getting and spending” and says,

Little we see in nature that is ours; we have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!” (ln 4-5).

Wordsworth is deeply frustrated and throughout the poem his emotions and frustrations with the subject grows. He then describes beautiful things in nature which one would expect to initiate a response from people, yet he says, “we are out of tune.” He describes the sea baring her bosom to the moon, the howling winds, and sleeping flowers. Still, society remains unmoved.

In line 9, Wordsworth’s frustration seems to have peaked when he exclaims,

“Great God! I’d rather be a Pagan suckled in a creed outworn” (ln 9-10).

Here he gives his solution and resolution to his problem. Wordsworth is so upset with humanity and their fall away from his passion, that he would rather become a Pagan than fall into what the rest of society is falling into. He would rather worship nature and have sight of “Proteus rising from the sea” or hear “old Triton blow his wreathed horn.” Wordsworth’s resolution to his problem seems sort of dramatic and overreacting to the problem. It just displays how great his feelings are of nature. He worships nature and to see everyone else around him not valuing nature in the same way he does deeply bothers and troubles him.

This poem made me think about how much the world has fallen out of touch with nature since the poem was written. It even makes me see just how much many people fall out of touch with nature as they grow older. I remember when I was little I use to go hiking with my brothers and play outside to get in as much sunlight and fresh air as I could each day. It’s amazing how you can look at a vast river with such amazement and years later see it in a completely different way. Today it seems like everyone around me is always so busy. Maybe it would be good for all of us to just stop and take a deep breath and really appreciate all that God made for us.