The World Is Too Much With Us

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During the Romantic period, poetry was a release of energy that was captured by experimentation and creative power. William Wordsworth, who was a famous poet of the time, published the poem The world is too much with us which expressed his opinion of the social, moral and ethical issues that were prevalent during the Romantic era. Wordsworth used his poem The world is too much with us to inform the reader of his view that humanity must get in touch with nature to progress spiritually. The Romantic era (1785-1830) was a period dominated by a number of historical events including the French revolution (1785) and the declaration of the rights of man, as well as urbanisation and enclosure, industrialisation and invention. Romantic poets of the …show more content…

One of which was The world is too much with us, which conveyed to the reader his beliefs and attitudes towards the revolution. Throughout this poem Wordsworth complains that ‘the world is too much with us’ which gives the message that the world is too overwhelming for us to appreciate it, ‘us’ being the problem. Wordsworth also believed that we should be able to appreciate beautiful events such as the moon shining over the ocean and the blowing of strong winds but, in this poem nature is portrayed as vulnerable. The phrase ‘sleeping flowers’ depicts how it is being overrun and is helpless. The metaphor ‘we have given our hearts away, a sordid boon’ is also an oxymoron. ‘Sordid’ suggests the worst aspects of human nature, for example selfishness and greed, while a ‘boon’ is something that serves as a benefit or blessing. The conflict between these words and their meanings suggests that materialism is a corrupt and destructive blessing which has been caused by the industrial revolution. Wordsworth expressed these opinions and beliefs through his

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