Page 52 - 100 Best Loved Poems - Teaching Unit
P. 52
“The World is Too Much with Us, Late and Soon”
by William Wordsworth, page 30
Vocabulary
sordid – dirty
boon – blessing
forlorn – sad
creed – statement of belief
1. What is the poem’s form and meter?
The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet, written in iambic pentameter.
2. What is the tone of the poem?
The poem is written in a tone of anger. The speaker is angry that the world has lost touch
with nature and all that is meaningful.
3. Line 7 of the poem contains an example of what literary and poetic device?
The line contains an example of simile: “And are up-gathered like sleeping flowers.”
4. Wordsworth writes that he does not want to become one of these people who do not seem
to appreciate the world around them. What does he write he would rather do?
Wordsworth writes he would rather become a pagan that worshipped Nature than forsake
the beauty and power around him—a strong statement in an age where forsaking religion
was not looked upon favorably.
5. After reading this poem in its entirety, put into your own words the message Wordsworth is
attempting to convey.
Answers may vary. Example: Wordsworth is saying that we have become removed from the
world so much that we do not take the time to appreciate its beauty and power.
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