THE WORLD IS TOO MUCH WITH US –

WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

The sonnet entitled “The World is Too Much with Us” is one of the well-known sonnets of
Wordsworth. This sonnet was composed in 1806 and published in 1807. It is one of the most
characteristic products of Wordsworth, the poet-critic and the moralist. Wordsworth, the “high
priest” and “Great Worshipper” of Nature, reminds us that NATURE HAS A BEAUTY AND
SIGNIFICANCE WHICH WE SHOULD NOT MISS.

Development of Thought:

The poet rightly condemns the excessive practice of people in worldly affairs and activities. We are
feverishly busy in the actions and activities of materialism.
HE ATTACKS ON MATERIALISM because people do not take interest in Nature. The claims and
concerns of this world are highly pressing, and we are ever-ready to sacrifice our spiritual
heritage at the altar of Materialism.
Getting and spending has become our chief concern in life. But what is the use of all this if we
allow our sense of duty to starve and die? The sense of beauty is a part of higher nature, and it
should be developed fully. But we devote our most of the time in the accumulation of wealth and
other materialistic activities. Thus, we miss to see the Nature with its sublime and beautiful sights.
The poem contains TWO BEAUTIFUL NATURE PICTURES. One is the picture of the moonlight
falling freely on the surface of the sea. The other picture is of the winds which are mostly blowing
with force, but which are sometimes calm and peaceful like “sleeping flowers”.

“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.”

But we are so much engrossed in worldly pursuits of life that we do not pay heed to the lovely
aspects of Nature. The poet is ever prepared to sacrifice Christianity and to accept paganism in
order to be able to live near Nature. He wants to,

“Have glimpses that would

Make me less forlorn,
Have sites of Proteus
Rising from the sea,
Or hear old Triton
Blow his wreathed horn.”

Wordsworth makes SEVERAL REFERENCES TO GREEK MYTHOLOGY. These references add

weight to the thought and content of the poem and enrich its literary value. Two Greek gods have
been depicted in the sonnet which are as following:

1. Proteus: An old man of the sea, son of Oceanus and Tethys. He possessed the gift of
Prophecy and the power of assuming any shape.
 2. Triton: An attendant of the sea-god, Neptune. He used to calm the waves of the sea by
blowing upon his conch; upper part of his body had a human form, and the lower part had
the shape of a fish, like a merman.

Conclusion:

THE SONNET IS THE PETRARCHAN IN MANNER, and the best example of Wordsworth’s
SIMPLICITY OF EXPRESSION. The first eight lines have the conventional rhyme scheme abba abba
cdc dcd. The poem does not strictly follow the rules of rhythm and versification. The thought of the
octave is allowed to flow into the ninth line. The sestet is autobiographical, and embodies the
declaration to lose Christianity in favour of man's relation to Nature. Beautiful figures of speech
have been used. The density of style is so great indeed that we have to absorb its significance.

THE POEM IS STAMPED WITH THE WEIGHTY PERSONALITY OF A OF A PROFOUND LOVER OF

NATURE.