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{{Poem|author=William Butler Yeats|date=1923}}
{{Poem|author=William Wordsworth|date=1807}}
''In Greek mythology, Zeus appears to [[w:Leda (mythology)|Leda]] in the form of a swan and [[w:Leda and the Swan|rapes her]]. She gives birth to [[w:Helen of Troy|Helen]] and [[w:Clytemnestra|Clytemnestra]]. This act marks the beginning of Greek civilization for Yeats.''
''Wordsworth’s sonnet argues that modern commercial society has alienated humanity from the natural world, leaving people spiritually impoverished because they value material gain over a vital, sustaining relationship with nature.''
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{| style="width: 600px;"
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<poem>
<poem>
A sudden blow: the great wings beating still
The world is too much with us;{{refn|Indeed, this sonnet is perhaps more apt today as the world seems to have decided it has had enough of us and our careless and wasteful ways. Wordsworth was aware of our transgressions over two-hundred years ago; I wonder if he had any idea where progress would lead? This sonnet surely seems prophetic.}} late and soon,
Above the staggering girl, her thighs caressed
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
By the dark webs, her nape caught in his bill,
Little we see in Nature{{refn|Here, Nature is capitalized as if personified, but Wordsworth more likely uses the capitalization to deify it, like Mother Nature.}} that is ours;{{refn|I have often said something similar to students: we humans really hate nature. If we could, we would probably eliminate everything ''natural'' about ourselves and sequester ourselves in hermetic isolation and wax nostalgic about nature’s beauty—as long as we didn’t have to suffer its inconveniences. If the Singularity nerds are correct: we will soon upload ourselves into our technology, potentially ditching our last connection with nature. Wordsworth would be appalled.}}
He holds her helpless breast upon his breast.
We have given our hearts away, a sordid {{H:title|A gift.|boon}}!{{refn|Giving our hearts away to materialism is the sordid gift.}}
 
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon; {{ln|5}}
How can those terrified vague fingers push {{ln|5}}
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
The feathered glory from her loosening thighs?
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;
And how can body, laid in that white rush,
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;{{refn|A central metaphor of the sonnet, we are out of harmony with everything since we lost our connection with nature, and, as the next line makes clear, we don’t care.}}
But feel the strange heart beating where it lies?
It moves us not.—Great God! I’d rather be
 
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;{{refn|Wordsworth’s words are powerful and perhaps a mordant critique of a Christian god who has created us in His own image—a wasteful and careless species who has lain waste to that which was put into his care. Wordsworth seems to embrace a more simple life of the pagan who lived in harmony with nature.}} {{ln|10}}
A shudder in the loins engenders there
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
The broken wall,{{refn|Continuing the images of penetration and destruction—here, this alludes to Troy’s walls being breached by the Argives, but it also suggests that Leda was a virgin.}} the burning roof and tower{{refn|The destruction of Troy.}}{{ln|10}}
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
And Agamemnon dead.{{refn|Agamemnon was murdered by Clytemnestra’s lover upon his return from Troy. He pretty much deserved it. The fall of Troy and the death of Agamemnon signify the end of an era.}}
Have sight of Proteus{{refn|The Old Man of the Sea in Homer’s ''[[Odyssey]]'' who could assume any shape.}} rising from the sea;
{{Sp}}{{Sp}}{{Sp}}{{Sp}}{{Sp}}{{Sp}}{{Sp}}{{Sp}}{{Sp}}{{Sp}}Being so caught up,
Or hear old Triton{{refn|A sea deity whose horn is a conch shell.}} blow his wreathèd horn.{{refn|The sonnet ends with these two mythological demigods that commanded a respect of the sea and nature. Maybe we were better off before we were “saved”?}}
So mastered by the brute blood of the air,
Did she put on his knowledge with his power
Before the indifferent beak could let her drop?{{refn|Compare this to the ending of “[[The Second Coming]]” where Yeats also asks an ambiguous and unanswerable question.}}
</poem>
</poem>
|-
| style="text-align:right;" | —'''[[w:W. B. Yeats|W. B. Yeats]]''' (1923)
|}</div>
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{{FH}}
== Introduction and Context ==
Written in 1923 and first published in ''The Dial'' before appearing in ''The Tower'' (1928), “Leda and the Swan” is one of Yeats’ most compressed and disturbing meditations on history, violence, and divine encounter. The poem reimagines the Greek myth of Zeus, who takes the form of a swan to rape Leda, the mortal mother of Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. This violent act, Yeats suggests, inaugurates a new epoch of civilization—the classical age of Greece—while foreshadowing its eventual destruction in the Trojan War.
[[File:Leda and the swan - Émile Auguste Hublin.jpg|thumb|500px|Émile Auguste Hublin]]
Yeats was fascinated by the cycles of history and spiritual revelation that he explored in ''A Vision'' (1925), his complex system of “gyres” representing recurring patterns of birth, decay, and renewal. In this framework, the rape of Leda marks a pivotal turning of the gyre: divine power violently intrudes into human history, creating a moment of transformation that is both creative and catastrophic.


The poem’s opening line, “A sudden blow,” plunges the reader into the immediacy of assault—its language is tactile, physical, and unflinching. Yeats’ choice of the sonnet form (14 lines, ABAB CDCD EFEF GG) imposes classical order upon chaos, mirroring how myth and art attempt to contain the incomprehensible. Yet the poem’s syntax, full of enjambment and violent motion, resists that containment: the act remains unresolved, its moral and metaphysical implications unsettled.
==Introduction==
William Wordsworth’s poem “The World Is Too Much With Us,” composed in 1802 and published in 1807, critiques the encroaching industrialization and materialism of the early 19th century. Written during a period of social and economic transformation in England, the poem reflects Wordsworth’s concerns about humanity's loss-of-connection to nature. This sonnet is influenced by Wordsworth’s personal experiences and his immersion in the natural landscapes of the Lake District, which shaped his poetic vision.
 
The poem adheres to the traditional sonnet form, specifically the Petrarchan (or Italian) sonnet, consisting of an octave and a sestet. The rhyme scheme (ABBAABBA in the octave, and CDCDCD in the sestet) and the iambic pentameter provide a structured framework that contrasts with the passionate and urgent plea within the verses. Wordsworth’s use of this form underscores the tension between human-made constraints and the energy of the natural world.


Yeats’s treatment of myth is characteristically Modernist: he reinterprets a traditional narrative to explore contemporary anxieties about power, gender, knowledge, and the cyclical nature of human history. The poem’s fusion of sensual and spiritual imagery—“feathered glory,” “strange heart beating,” “brute blood of the air”—invites consideration about how divine revelation and sexual violence are intertwined. The final question—“Did she put on his knowledge with his power?”—remains unanswered, capturing the paradox of transcendence through violation.
Central to “The World Is Too Much With Us” are themes of alienation and the conflict between nature and industrial society. Wordsworth laments the way human beings have become disconnected from the natural world, consumed by the pursuit of material wealth: “Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers” (l. 2). He mourns the loss of a deeper, more spiritual connection to nature, which he believes is vital for the human soul. The poem’s imagery captures this sense of loss and yearning for a return to a more harmonious existence with the natural environment.


For contemporary readers, “Leda and the Swan” retains its power and discomfort. It raises questions about the relationship between creativity and destruction, knowledge and domination, beauty and brutality. The myth’s violence reverberates through history, echoing modern warfare and political upheaval. Yeats transforms myth into a lens through which to examine both personal and civilizational trauma—making this brief sonnet one of the most potent expressions of Modernist tension between chaos and form.
As a quintessential Romantic poem, “The World Is Too Much With Us” embodies several key characteristics of the Romantic movement. It emphasizes emotion and intuition over reason, celebrates the sublime beauty of nature, and critiques the dehumanizing effects of industrialization and urbanization. Wordsworth’s invocation of pagan mythology, as he wishes for a life akin to that of the ancient Greeks who worshipped nature, reflects the Romantic fascination with the past and the idealization of a simpler, more integrated way of life.


== Questions for Consideration ==
In contemporary times, the poem’s relevance has only heightened. As modern society grapples with the consequences of industrialization, environmental degradation, and climate change, Wordsworth’s critique of materialism and his call for a renewed connection with nature resonate deeply. The poem serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving our natural world and maintaining a balance between progress and the environment. Through “The World Is Too Much With Us,” Wordsworth’s voice continues to inspire reflection on the relationship between humanity and nature in an age of unprecedented ecological challenges.
# How does Yeats depict the violence of the encounter between Leda and the swan? What sensory imagery dominates the poem?
# In what ways does the sonnet form constrain or intensify the poem’s violent subject matter?
# How does Yeats connect the mythic act to historical consequences—“the broken wall, the burning roof and tower / And Agamemnon dead”?
# What might Yeats mean by suggesting that divine rape could “engender” civilization?
# How does the poem explore the relationship between power and knowledge?
# What is the effect of the poem’s unanswered final question? Does Yeats suggest that revelation is possible through trauma—or that it is forever incomplete?
# How does Yeats use contrast—between beauty and brutality, flesh and spirit, divinity and mortality—to shape meaning?
# How does “Leda and the Swan” reflect Yeats’s theory of cyclical history and the turning of the gyres from A Vision?
# What Modernist characteristics are present in this poem? Consider its mythic allusion, fragmentation, and moral ambiguity.
# How does the poem engage questions of gender and agency? Is Leda passive, complicit, or transformed?


== Sample Journal Approaches ==
==Questions for Consideration==
# How did you react to the poem’s depiction of power and vulnerability? Describe a time you have witnessed (or experienced) an imbalance of power. How does Yeats’s portrayal of domination and helplessness help you think about that situation differently?
# Analyze how Wordsworth portrays the impact of industrialization and materialism on humanity’s relationship with nature. Discuss how specific imagery and diction in the poem reflect his critique of contemporary society.
# Why do you think Yeats chose such beautiful, musical language to describe a brutal act? What effect does this contrast have on your reading experience? Can beauty ever make violence more comprehensible—or more troubling?
# Examine the Romantic characteristics in Wordsworth’s poem, focusing on elements such as the celebration of nature, emotional intensity, and the critique of industrial progress. How do these features align with the broader themes and concerns of the Romantic movement?
# At the poem’s end, Yeats asks whether Leda “put on his knowledge with his power.” What might it mean to “learn” something through suffering or violation? Can knowledge emerge from trauma—or does it simply repeat it?
# Discuss the significance of the Petrarchan sonnet form in “The World Is Too Much With Us.” How does the structure of the octave and sestet enhance the poem’s thematic development? Consider how the formal aspects contribute to the poem’s overall impact.
# Yeats connects this mythic act to the fall of Troy and the birth of Western civilization. What do you think he’s suggesting about the foundations of culture? Do you see parallels in modern society—moments when destruction has been framed as progress?
# Explore Wordsworth’s use of pagan mythology and classical references in the poem. How do these elements contribute to his argument about the alienation from nature? Analyze the symbolic meaning of the references to Proteus and Triton and their relevance to the poem’s message.
# The poem turns a horrifying event into art. How do you feel about that? Should art represent such violence, and if so, what responsibilities do poets or readers have in confronting it?
# Reflect on the contemporary relevance of “The World Is Too Much With Us.” In what ways do Wordsworth’s concerns about the disconnection from nature and the dominance of materialism resonate with current environmental and social issues? Draw parallels between the poem’s themes and modern debates about sustainability and environmental ethics.
# If Leda somehow absorbs Zeus’s “knowledge,” what might she become? How might transformation—spiritual, intellectual, or bodily—be both gift and curse?
# Analyze the emotional tone of the poem and Wordsworth’s use of language to convey a sense of loss and yearning. How does Wordsworth’s choice of words and phrases evoke a powerful emotional response from the reader? Consider the role of sentiment and passion in communicating the poem’s central themes.
# Yeats’s myth reimagines divine assault during a time of postwar disillusionment (1920s). What might this poem say about our own cultural moment? How might it help you interpret current social or political “turnings of the gyre”?
# Investigate the meaning and implications of the line “Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.” What does Wordsworth mean by “powers,” and how does the poem suggest these powers are being wasted? Discuss the significance of this critique in the context of the poem and its broader philosophical implications.
# Write a personal reflection on how “The World Is Too Much With Us” resonates with your own experiences and views on nature and society. Consider how Wordsworth’s perspective influences your thoughts on contemporary environmental issues and the balance between progress and nature.


== Notes ==
==Notes==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


[[Category:Modernism]]
[[Category:Romanticism]]
[[Category:ENGL 2122]]
[[Category:ENGL 2122]]

Latest revision as of 10:34, 8 January 2026

Poetry › William Wordsworth (1807)

Wordsworth’s sonnet argues that modern commercial society has alienated humanity from the natural world, leaving people spiritually impoverished because they value material gain over a vital, sustaining relationship with nature.

The world is too much with us;[1] late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little we see in Nature[2] that is ours;[3]
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon![4]
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon; 5
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;[5]
It moves us not.—Great God! I’d rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;[6] 10
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus[7] rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton[8] blow his wreathèd horn.[9]

Introduction

William Wordsworth’s poem “The World Is Too Much With Us,” composed in 1802 and published in 1807, critiques the encroaching industrialization and materialism of the early 19th century. Written during a period of social and economic transformation in England, the poem reflects Wordsworth’s concerns about humanity's loss-of-connection to nature. This sonnet is influenced by Wordsworth’s personal experiences and his immersion in the natural landscapes of the Lake District, which shaped his poetic vision.

The poem adheres to the traditional sonnet form, specifically the Petrarchan (or Italian) sonnet, consisting of an octave and a sestet. The rhyme scheme (ABBAABBA in the octave, and CDCDCD in the sestet) and the iambic pentameter provide a structured framework that contrasts with the passionate and urgent plea within the verses. Wordsworth’s use of this form underscores the tension between human-made constraints and the energy of the natural world.

Central to “The World Is Too Much With Us” are themes of alienation and the conflict between nature and industrial society. Wordsworth laments the way human beings have become disconnected from the natural world, consumed by the pursuit of material wealth: “Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers” (l. 2). He mourns the loss of a deeper, more spiritual connection to nature, which he believes is vital for the human soul. The poem’s imagery captures this sense of loss and yearning for a return to a more harmonious existence with the natural environment.

As a quintessential Romantic poem, “The World Is Too Much With Us” embodies several key characteristics of the Romantic movement. It emphasizes emotion and intuition over reason, celebrates the sublime beauty of nature, and critiques the dehumanizing effects of industrialization and urbanization. Wordsworth’s invocation of pagan mythology, as he wishes for a life akin to that of the ancient Greeks who worshipped nature, reflects the Romantic fascination with the past and the idealization of a simpler, more integrated way of life.

In contemporary times, the poem’s relevance has only heightened. As modern society grapples with the consequences of industrialization, environmental degradation, and climate change, Wordsworth’s critique of materialism and his call for a renewed connection with nature resonate deeply. The poem serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving our natural world and maintaining a balance between progress and the environment. Through “The World Is Too Much With Us,” Wordsworth’s voice continues to inspire reflection on the relationship between humanity and nature in an age of unprecedented ecological challenges.

Questions for Consideration

  1. Analyze how Wordsworth portrays the impact of industrialization and materialism on humanity’s relationship with nature. Discuss how specific imagery and diction in the poem reflect his critique of contemporary society.
  2. Examine the Romantic characteristics in Wordsworth’s poem, focusing on elements such as the celebration of nature, emotional intensity, and the critique of industrial progress. How do these features align with the broader themes and concerns of the Romantic movement?
  3. Discuss the significance of the Petrarchan sonnet form in “The World Is Too Much With Us.” How does the structure of the octave and sestet enhance the poem’s thematic development? Consider how the formal aspects contribute to the poem’s overall impact.
  4. Explore Wordsworth’s use of pagan mythology and classical references in the poem. How do these elements contribute to his argument about the alienation from nature? Analyze the symbolic meaning of the references to Proteus and Triton and their relevance to the poem’s message.
  5. Reflect on the contemporary relevance of “The World Is Too Much With Us.” In what ways do Wordsworth’s concerns about the disconnection from nature and the dominance of materialism resonate with current environmental and social issues? Draw parallels between the poem’s themes and modern debates about sustainability and environmental ethics.
  6. Analyze the emotional tone of the poem and Wordsworth’s use of language to convey a sense of loss and yearning. How does Wordsworth’s choice of words and phrases evoke a powerful emotional response from the reader? Consider the role of sentiment and passion in communicating the poem’s central themes.
  7. Investigate the meaning and implications of the line “Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.” What does Wordsworth mean by “powers,” and how does the poem suggest these powers are being wasted? Discuss the significance of this critique in the context of the poem and its broader philosophical implications.
  8. Write a personal reflection on how “The World Is Too Much With Us” resonates with your own experiences and views on nature and society. Consider how Wordsworth’s perspective influences your thoughts on contemporary environmental issues and the balance between progress and nature.

Notes

  1. ↑ Indeed, this sonnet is perhaps more apt today as the world seems to have decided it has had enough of us and our careless and wasteful ways. Wordsworth was aware of our transgressions over two-hundred years ago; I wonder if he had any idea where progress would lead? This sonnet surely seems prophetic.
  2. ↑ Here, Nature is capitalized as if personified, but Wordsworth more likely uses the capitalization to deify it, like Mother Nature.
  3. ↑ I have often said something similar to students: we humans really hate nature. If we could, we would probably eliminate everything natural about ourselves and sequester ourselves in hermetic isolation and wax nostalgic about nature’s beauty—as long as we didn’t have to suffer its inconveniences. If the Singularity nerds are correct: we will soon upload ourselves into our technology, potentially ditching our last connection with nature. Wordsworth would be appalled.
  4. ↑ Giving our hearts away to materialism is the sordid gift.
  5. ↑ A central metaphor of the sonnet, we are out of harmony with everything since we lost our connection with nature, and, as the next line makes clear, we don’t care.
  6. ↑ Wordsworth’s words are powerful and perhaps a mordant critique of a Christian god who has created us in His own image—a wasteful and careless species who has lain waste to that which was put into his care. Wordsworth seems to embrace a more simple life of the pagan who lived in harmony with nature.
  7. ↑ The Old Man of the Sea in Homer’s Odyssey who could assume any shape.
  8. ↑ A sea deity whose horn is a conch shell.
  9. ↑ The sonnet ends with these two mythological demigods that commanded a respect of the sea and nature. Maybe we were better off before we were “saved”?
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