Wordsworth: Nature Is Ours

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William Wordsworth who was born in 1770 was a poet during the Romantic Period. Before he graduated from St. John’s College, he traveled across Europe which intensified his love for nature and influenced his poetry. In his Petrarchan sonnet, “The World is Too Much with Us”, Wordsworth explains that society is corrupted because they are more focused on luxurious items than on nature. To convey his message, he put an emphasis on a shift of point of view. In this change, he switches his tone from complaining to scolding. Wordsworth uses figurative language and allusions to express his feelings that “as society changes, its values change as well” (saifjw). In William Wordsworth’s poem, “The World is Too Much with Us”, the point of view begins as second person. In the first part, Wordsworth personifies the ocean and the winds in order to explain that society is no longer affected by nature. “This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon” (line 5) explains the beauty of nature but no one takes the time to notice it because they’re too busy caught up with materialistic items. Wordsworth elaborates that the winds that were once “howling at all hours” (line 6) are now confined to one spot and go unnoticed “like sleeping flowers” (line 7). One possible interpretation of this would be that at one point in time the winds were blowing and people were considerate of nature, but now nature is concealed because society does not notice the beauty of scenery anymore. In the first two lines of “The World is Too Much with Us”, Wordsworth complains that the world is too obsessed with “getting and spending” (line 2) artificial goods that are meaningless; citizens are worried about being “late and soon” because of their hectic schedules; “we l... ... middle of paper ... ...ultimately means to be human” (Dickie). Works Cited Cummings, Michael J. "Wordworth's The World Is Too Much With Us: A Study Guide." Free Study Guides for Shakespeare and Other Authors. 2007. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. . Dickie, Jordan. "William Wordsworth's "The World Is Too Much with Us": Analysis." Web log post. The World Is Too Much with Us Analysis, William Wordsworth. BestWord, 2010. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. . Saifjw. - Essay. Rep. OPPapers, 8 May 2011. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. . "William Wordsworth." Web log post. : The Poetry Foundation. The Poetry Foundation, 2011. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. .

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