The ubiquitous echo of poetry’s yearnings to be heard throughout the annals of time, reflect mankind’s endless search for meaning whilst on earth. As such, English Literature as a formal academic discipline – and generic genre of creative expression – holds a place of often cited materials for pondering. Poetry consists of more than reading stanzas on a page that rhyme. This essay attempts to cogently analyze the poem by William Wordsworth, entitled ‘The World is Too Much with us.’ A brief background will remind the reader herein that Wordsworth’s mother died when he was only eight-years-old, and his father closely afterwards, which set him on a path of fervent poetry-making and a walking tour of Europe (“Poet William Wordsworth”). As one may imagine, losing both parents at a youthful age traumatized him. Nevertheless, Wordsworth’s walking tour in France during their Revolution endeared him with a sensitivity towards the ‘common’ man, and sympathy for their collective troubles in life. Given the background, an analysis of The World is Too Much with us follows.
The speaker of the poem seems to be a human observer, in contemplation of life and nature in terms of the significance of it all. One literary device William Wordsworth uses in the poem, is to speak from the collective perspective of ‘we’ and ‘us.’ For example, in the first line: “The world is too much with us,” and in the eighth, “For this, for everything, we are out of tune” (“The World is Too Much”). It is almost as if the poet is trying to birth an awareness that we are all on this planet together, thus addressing the collective of the human audience of whosoever will listen. The words are neither mystical, nor rare, yet profound.
For example, William Wordsworth seems to portray an occasion of noticing the creative forces and awesomeness of nature and natural elements. The message and central theme uses a straightforward sobriety, to speak of how we tend to waste time, talents, and in so doing neglect to recognize the majesty of the natural world. Of this failure, Wordsworth writes “Little we see in Nature that is oursThe winds that will be howling at all hoursup-gathered now like sleeping flowers” (“The World is Too Much”). In a manner of expressing, another part of the theme’s message signifies that the wild beauty and mystery of nature’s power is out of our human reach – in terms of understanding – yet, we fail to acknowledge to even try to be in harmony with it. Thus, humankind is characterized as ‘out of tune’ as a direct quote, from this particular piece.
Wordsworth richly applies imagery to this work. The sea-god Proteus as dramatically rising from the ocean is one example. Furthermore, it would not be surprising if Wordsworth wrote this poem while directly observing the ocean. The rhyme scheme is sequential, alternating between stanzas, demonstrated by soon/boon/tune, ours/flowers/hours, and outworn/forlorn/horn. The literal sea, “bares her bosom” marks a splendidly brilliant use of both metaphor and personification, as a literary device. Wordsworth’s almost strange phrase, “sordid boon” really makes the reader think and ponder: “We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!” (“The World is Too Much”). You could interpret this as we pay attention to the unimportant aspects of life, although we deem that all our wasted acts are noble”getting and spending” as William Wordsworth writes, in the poem.
Finally, the poem does not seem to depict an occasion for something spooky, or deathly in terms of the supernatural. Other literary analysts and critics would disagree. Thompson did believe that another storywriter, in reference to the darkish tidal quality of the sea’s mystery, reflected a similar feeling from Wordsworth’s poem ‘The World is Too Much with us,’ that it was a “nature-praising sonnet” (178). At the end of the day, it is important to place English literature in the context of the author, and historical setting. A lot was going on in those days. My personal opinion agrees with the poem, that humans are too wrapped up in the affairs of the ‘world-system’ – instead of appreciating the time we have to enjoy God’s beautiful creation.
Works Cited
“Poet William Wordsworth.” Poets.org Academy of American Poets, 2016. Web. 30 April 2016.
“The World is Too Much with us.” Poets.org Academy of American Poets, 2016. Web. 30 April 2016.
Thompson, Terry W. “A Wordsworth Source for Algernon Blackwood's ‘The Sea Fit’.” Anq23.3 (2010): 179. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 30 Apr. 2016.
