Topic > Materialism in William Wordsworth's poem "The World Is Too Much With Us"

In a rapidly developing, consumerist world, humanity has fallen deeply into the rabbit hole of materialism. The root of man's estrangement from nature comes from the ongoing problem of society's useless symbols. Believe it or not, it seems that the inevitable forces of materialism were present, if not created, even in the early nineteenth century, according to William Wordsworth's poem, "The World is Too Much with Us." The premise and relevance of this poem long outlived the poet's life. By sharing his frustration through metaphorical imagery, William Wordsworth touches on a universal theme that remains relevant today: humanity's lost connection with nature due to lifeless material possessions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayThe speaker begins with a vague observation, which weighs on our consciences and leaves room for interpretation, as he says “the world is too much with us; late and early” (1). Why does he think the world is too much with us? If we were to look at the timeline in which this poem was published, it is evident that Wordsworth may have expressed his discontent following the industrial revolution. The change and destruction of our ecological system and natural resources can be attributed to desire of man for a more solid life based on “taking and spending”; the endless cycle of undisciplined greed. For this reason, Wordsworth firmly believes that we do not deserve nature and its beauty “late and early” in other words; , humanity has taken this for granted in the past and will continue to do so in the future. As a result, the speaker persists in showing his frustration regarding man's increasing negligence towards nature; with an angry tone mixed with disappointment he says “We see little in Nature that is ours; / We gave away our hearts, you sordid advantage!” (3-4). Wordsworth reveals a spiritual point of view as he declares that we no longer seek fulfillment in nature to nourish our souls; instead, “we waste our strength” (2) and “[give] our hearts” (4) to consumerism and material goods. The word “heart” in this context is interchangeable with the term “soul.” Furthermore, the speaker awakens the reader's visual and auditory senses when he says “This sea that bares its breast to the moon; / The winds that will howl at all hours, / And now they are gathered like sleeping flowers; / For this reason, for everything, we are out of tune; It doesn't move us” (5-8). While Wordsworth highlights our tendency to overlook a storm, he brings up the idea that man is dormant (“like sleeping flowers”) and does not appreciate the beauty of our natural world. So far, the speaker has attempted to persuade his reader to subscribe to the same school of thought that man becomes a catalyst within our world. He did this by illustrating his pain towards humanity not only through vivid images but also through a continuous repetition of rhymes. For example, the first line of the first quatrain ends with the word “presto” and the last line of the same quatrain ends with “beneficio”. This is consistent throughout each quatrain of the sonnet. The rhythm of the poem evokes emotion and captures the reader's attention while inviting them to create visual images. Wordsworth takes the reader on a journey of self-contemplation and ambivalence. After introducing a problem that provokes contemplation, the poem takes a turn when the speaker announces that he would rather be a pagan than a man who has lost communion with nature. For example, Wordsworth exclaims “Great God!” (8) as a warning to his progressive frustration” (9-12)..