William Wordsworth

"The world is too much with us" brings to light all of the things we take for granted on a daily basis. "Little we see in nature that is ours; we have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!" (p. 234). God has provided all the natural things for us to share and enjoy. However, we do not appreciate such precious gifts. Instead we destroy them as can be compared to giving our hearts away. I interpreted the end of the line, "sordid boon", to mean that Wordsworth sees our cherishing money and not the priceless things as a distasteful advance. "The Sea that bares her bosom to the moon; The Winds that will be howling at all hours and are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers" (p. 234). We are not grateful for the things in nature such as the sea, flowers, and the moon. Wordsworth also touches on the fact of how consumed the people in the world are with money. "Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers" (p. 234). All we do is work so we can make money and then spend it. We place all the power in money and some in turn lose who they really are. Some lose their power within themselves, their innocence, and their beauty in pursuit of money. Some may consider the pursuit of money to be the same as the pursuit of happiness. However, others may beg to differ. I think Wordsworth was trying to say that material possessions are not the things that bring true happiness. It is the priceless things such as nature, family, friends, love, and companionship that bring true happiness if we can just take a moment in our busy lives to appreciate them. Wordsworth also mentions " For this, for everything, we are out of tune; It moves us not. Great God! I'd rather be a Pagan suckled in a creed outworn" (p.234). As long as we take the things that matter most for granted we will continue to be out of tune. We will be out of tune with what we should really be focusing on. We cut down trees to build malls, parking garages, etc. We do not care that we need oxygen from the trees. We also continue to use products that deplete the ozone layer. Everything goes in a huge circle, just as the world goes round. Wordsworth wants no part of this cycle. He would rather be pagan...contrary to everyone else. He would rather go against the grain so to speak. My interpretation is that he was trying to say that God is looking down on us and is saddened and displeased at what many of us have done in this world.