Write the substance and explanation of the poem entitled The World Is Too

Write the substance and explanation of the poem entitled The World Is Too Much With Us.

Ans.

Substance of the Poem

After the advent of the Industrial Revolution, the whole of Europe was in the grip of growing materialism in the nineteenth century. Man became so much occupied with the art of getting and spending that he was cut off from the world of Art and Nature. He began to spend his natural powers in sordid things. In the face of gross materialism, the beauties and messages of Nature became meaningless to him. He became blind to the sea baring her bosom to the moon and the winds hushed in the twilight. The beautiful scenes of Nature failed to make an appeal to his heart. The poet was so much disgusted with the materialistic tendencies of his age that he preferred to embrace Paganism so that he might worship gods and goddesses living in nature and establish his spiritual communion with them.

Explanations

(1) The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers

Little we see in Nature that is ours;

We have given our hearts away; a sordid boon!

Reference to the Context: These lines have been taken from the sonnet The World Is Too Much With Us‘ written by one of the most important poets of Romantic Revival, William Wordsworth.

In the poem the poet expresses his sadness to see increasing materialism all around the world.

Explanation: In these lines, the poet condemns the growing materialism of his age after the coming of the Industrial Revolution in England. The lust of the flesh became an obsession with the man of the nineteenth century. He was too much in the grip of gross materialism. He was busy, at all times, with the transactions of money. He did not care at all for the development and extension of the qualities given to him by Nature. He did not feel at all that he was the part of Nature. The materialistic pursuits became so much important for him that he cut off his relations from Nature and Art. He became heartless and insensitive to everything that was noble calm and beautiful. The material prosperity was, no doubt, a boon for the hungry humanity but it was a mean and low gift in exchange of a noble thing.

Comments: 1. The words used in these lines are monosyllabic and lyrical.

2. The poet condemns growing materialism.

(2) It moves us not-Great God! I’d rather be

A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;

So might I, standing on this pleasant lee

Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;

Have sight of Proteus rising from the Sea;

Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.

Reference to the Context: As above. The poet says that the beautiful scenes like beautiful sea and the winds which sometimes blow and then become silent do not create any emotion of joy in his heart. They are meaningless to him compared to his material achievements.

Explanation: The poet was so much disgusted with the materialistic tendencies of his age that he preferred to give up Christianity and embrace Paganism. He thought it better to revert to the Greek Paganism with its worship of Nature and belief in gods and goddesses than to continue to pay his lip service to the sort of Christianity people professed in his age. The conversion of the poet into Heathenism would have its own advantages for him. It would make him able to see Nature inhabited by gods like Proteus and Triton. It would help him in establishing his spiritual communion with Nature. He would, then not feel lonely.

Comments: 1. Pagan: A person believing in the worship of nature inhabited by gods and goddesses.

2. Proteus : He was a sea-god capable of changing shapes.

3. Triton : He was another sea-god capable of making the angry sea calm by blowing his conch.

4. Figure of speech : Simile.