The World is too Much with Us -Qs-Ans-William Wordsworth

 The World is too Much with Us by William Wordsworth

Questions-Answers-The World is too Much with Us by William Wordsworth

Very Short Answer-type Qs (one word-a phrase-a sentence)

Q1. According to the poet, what is man's attitude to nature?

Ans. Man’s attitude to nature is of indifference (lack of interest).

Q2. Who were Proteus and Triton?

Ans. They were Greek and Roman gods of Nature.

Q3.Why does the poet want to become a Pagan?

Ans. He wants to become a Pagan to worship gods of Nature.

Q4. What does the poet mean by stating ‘the world is too much with us?

Ans. It means that man has become too much attached to the material world.

Q5. What are we ‘out of tune with’?

Ans. We are ‘out of tune’ with Nature.

Q6. What is the ‘sordid boon’?
Ans. Lust (extreme greed) for possessing material things is a sordid boon.

Q7. Who is the Pagan according to the poet?

Ans. A non-Christian is a Pagan according to the poet.

Q8. What does the poet glimpse and what is its effect on him?

Ans. The poet has glimpses of the gods of Nature, Proteus, and Triton and it makes him happy.

Q9.What does the poet mean by “the world’ in the first line?

Ans. It means worldly possessions.

Q10. Identify the rhyme scheme used in this Sonnet?

Ans. The poet has used the following rhyme scheme in this poem: abba, abba, cdcdcd.

Q11. How has materialism affected us?

Ans. It has made us slaves to material possessions.

Q12. ‘It moves us not’. What moves us not?

Ans. The beauties of Nature do not move us.

Q13.How do we waste our powers according to Wordsworth?

Ans. We waste our powers in getting and spending money on material things.

Q14. What does Wordsworth say he could do if he were a Pagan?

Ans. In that case, he would have a glimpse of the gods of nature.

Q15. Why can't we make nature a part of our life?

Ans. As we are all the time busy in material pursuits, we cannot make nature a part of our life.

Q16. How, according to the poet, is ‘the world’ too much with us?

Ans. We are all the time busy in material pursuits; earning and spending money on material things.

Q17.Sonnet is of two types. Out of these two, which type of Sonnet Wordsworth’s poem ‘The World is Too Much with Us’?

Ans. This poem is based on the Petrarchan sonnet.

Q18. How many lines are there in a Petrarchan Sonnet?

Ans. It has fourteen lines.

Comprehension Exercises:

Answer the following questions in 20-30 words each:

Q1. According to the poet, what is man's attitude to nature?

Ans. Man’s attitude to Nature is of indifference. We have made ourselves detached (cut off/separated) from Nature. We are every time busy in earning and spending money. We have no communion with Nature. We cannot afford separation from it. If it happens, harmful effects on the earth can be felt or seen.

Q2. Who were Proteus and Triton?

Ans. The poet mentions the ancient Greek and Roman mythical gods Proteus and Triton in this poem. Proteus would be seen emerging from the sea and Triton would be blowing his curled conch-like horn. In this way, he would not feel lonely and sad at all in the company of Roman and Greek gods.

Q3.Why does the poet want to become a Pagan?

Ans. The poet declares that he would prefer to be a Pagan rather than be affected by the growing materialism in the world due to the first phase of industrialization in England. He would be ready to renounce his religion ‘Christianity’ which advocates for only one God. He would like to follow the religion in which Nature is worshipped. This stanza reflects Wordsworth’s deep love for Nature. This is the reason why the poet wants to become a pagan.

Q4. What does the poet mean by stating ‘the world is too much with us’?

 Ans. The poet means to say that human beings have become more attached to material things. He expresses his deep concern over people’s growing love for worldly things. Man has become a slave to the god of money, Mammon. He appeals to all of us to give up Mammon-worship and start loving Nature. At that time, industrialization had just started showing its impact on human minds.

Q5. What are we ‘out of tune with’?

Ans. The poet says that people are out of tune with nature. He says that people do not feel attracted by the beauties of nature. The poet quotes examples of some beautiful scenes of Nature. It all shows that Man has become very much indifferent to the beauties of Nature. They are in disharmony with the world of  Nature.

Q6. What is the ‘sordid boon’?

Ans. Actually, the poet has used ‘too much in the title of the poem ‘The World is too much With Us’. We have a clue here to explain the meaning of the paradox ‘sordid boon’. It seems that the poet does not have much objection to people’s limited love for material things. Then it is a boon for them. But when they have crossed limits and got too much involved in their love for material things, then it becomes sordid. Hence, the meaning of the paradox is ‘a sordid boon’.

Q7. Who is the Pagan according to the poet?

Ans. A pagan is a worshipper of nature. Ans. He believes in many gods and goddesses of nature. But this word was also used as a ‘non-believer of God’ or a non-Christian person. This is because a Christian believes only in one God.

Q8. What does the poet glimpse and what is its effect on him?

 Ans. The poet has glimpses of the ancient Greek and Roman mythical gods Proteus and Triton. Proteus would be seen emerging from the sea and Triton would be blowing his curled conch-like horn. In this way, he would not feel lonely and sad at all in the company of Roman and Greek gods.

Q9.What does the poet mean by “the world’ in the first line?

Ans. In this poem ‘the world’ means the greed for material things. The people of the world have become too much involved in possessing material things. They do so by earning lots and lots of money. In this process, they have become indifferent to Nature. They worship only the god of money, that is, Mammon.

Q10. Identify the rhyme scheme used in this Sonnet?

Ans. The poet has used the following rhyme scheme in this poem: abba, abba, cdcdcd.

It means the first line rhymes with the fourth line, the second line rhymes with the third; the fifth line rhymes with the eighth while the sixth one with the seventh; the ninth line rhymes with the eleventh and thirteenth; the tenth line rhymes with the twelfth and the fourteenth.