The World Is Too Much With Us Wordsworth

William Wordworth’s sonnet “[The world is too much with us]” is a staple among Romantic era poems because it embodies the era’s ideals. The ideals of individualism, republicanism, and naturalism define Romantic era poetry, a movement that lasted from the late 18th century until the early 19th century, according to a Salem Press Encyclopedia article about the era. At its core, “[The world is too much with us]” is a written revolt against Puritan work ethic and the industrialization that was consuming England during that era. The poem is historical as it targeted the working culture in Britain that threatened to take away liberties for the common-man. In the poem, Wordsworth lustily reminisces about a time when he and others felt more connected to nature. In the poem, Wordsworth creates a contrast between the cottage economy and industrial society, clearly advocating the former. Wordsworth’s message is applicable to …show more content…
Wordsworth’s poem is timeless and readers today may extract the same message meant for citizens of England in the early nineteenth century. The message that tyranny in the form of governments, religious organizations, and technologies is a hindrance to human freedom and human naturalism. Wordsworth’s condescending tone highlights his belief that Romantic era ideals were superior to those of society in that era and those of the Enlightenment era. Wordsworth’s message additionally inspired his contemporaries like Lord Byron and the Luddites to write rebellious poetry and even go as far as break machines. Wordsworth’s poem similarly captured the angst-filled repulsion of Britain’s upper class towards the changes in society, which critics later defined as “British Philistinism.” Wordsworth’s rebellious style lives on today albeit takes different forms like modern rappers railing against institutional racism to artists like David