Does Wordsworth’s sonnet “The World is too much with us” apply in any measure to the contemporary 21st-century world?
Wordsworth’s The World is too much with us provides us with a glimpse of Wordsworth’s sense of what is wrong with the world, as well as what is wrong with our relationship to the world. Wordsworth articulates the fact that we are so consumed with our material realities that we fail to see how rich and beautiful the world around us is. We have lost that inextricable connection with nature by pining for things that do not touch our inner soul.
Wordsworth sonnet The World is too much with us most definitely applies to the 21st century. Our desire for all things materialistic is greater than ever, and this is heightened by the fact that one can never be satisfied with what they already have.
Human beings are competitive creatures, this is an evolutionary concept. We want the best of everything to increase our chances of survival. However, in the 21st century, this idea has gotten out of hand. Buying those Christian Louboutin heels or that limited-edition Dior handbag will not increase my chances of survival, however, it will make me happy…temporarily.
In his sonnet, Wordsworth states, “For this, for everything, we are out of tune; It moves us not.” He says to the audience we do not need materialistic things to feel happy, we already have these amazing aspects of the natural world around us. However, we are no longer touched by them. We are so involved with “getting and spending” that nature does not move us anymore.
With the ability to get and spend anywhere at any time, Wordsworth’s sonnet The World is too much with us is more prevalent now in the 21st century than it has ever been.
Lili Braidner 
Love that concluding image! It captures well what was at the core of Wordsworth’s message.
MG
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