1. “No Man Is An Island” by John Donne
2. “The Tyger” by William Blake
3. “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
4. “To Autumn” by John Keats
5. “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost
6. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost
7. “If—” by Rudyard Kipling
8. “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas
9. “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley
10. “She Walks in Beauty” by Lord Byron
11. “The Lamb” by William Blake
12. “The Chimney Sweeper” by William Blake
13. “Kubla Khan” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
14. “La Belle Dame sans Merci” by John Keats
15. “Daffodils” by William Wordsworth
16. “Sonnet 18” by William Shakespeare
17. “Sonnet 116” by William Shakespeare
18. “The World Is Too Much with Us” by William Wordsworth
19. “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning
20. “Porphyria’s Lover” by Robert Browning
21. “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
22. “Ode to a Nightingale” by John Keats
23. “Ode on a Grecian Urn” by John Keats
24. “The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred Lord Tennyson
25. “Ulysses” by Alfred Lord Tennyson
26. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot
27. “The Waste Land” by T.S. Eliot
28. “The Second Coming” by W.B. Yeats
29. “Sailing to Byzantium” by W.B. Yeats
30. “Fern Hill” by Dylan Thomas
31. “Digging” by Seamus Heaney
32. “Punishment” by Seamus Heaney
33. “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost
34. “Birches” by Robert Frost
35. “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe
36. “Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe
37. “Ode to the West Wind” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
38. “Dover Beach” by Matthew Arnold
39. “The Soldier” by Rupert Brooke
40. “Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen
41. “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen
42. “Musee des Beaux Arts” by W.H. Auden
43. “The Unknown Citizen” by W.H. Auden
44. “Harlem” by Langston Hughes
45. “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes
46. “Because I could not stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson
47. “I heard a Fly buzz—when I died” by Emily Dickinson
48. “Hope is the thing with feathers” by Emily Dickinson
49. “The Emperor of Ice-Cream” by Wallace Stevens
50. “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird” by Wallace Stevens
51. “The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams
52. “This Is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams
53. “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath
54. “Lady Lazarus” by Sylvia Plath
55. “Mirror” by Sylvia Plath
56. “The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop
57. “One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop
58. “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks
59. “The Bean Eaters” by Gwendolyn Brooks60
60. “The Flea” by John Donne
61. “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell
62. “Death Be Not Proud” by John Donne
63. “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” by John Donne
64. “The Collar” by George Herbert
65. “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time” by Robert Herrick
66. “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” by Christopher Marlowe
67. “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd” by Sir Walter Raleigh
68. “When I Consider How My Light is Spent” by John Milton
69. “The Garden” by Andrew Marvell
70. “The Pulley” by George Herbert
71. “Delight in Disorder” by Robert Herrick
72. “Easter Wings” by George Herbert
73. “The Author to Her Book” by Anne Bradstreet
74. “To My Dear and Loving Husband” by Anne Bradstreet
75. “A Poison Tree” by William Blake
76. “London” by William Blake
77. “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge” by William Wordsworth
78. “The Solitary Reaper” by William Wordsworth
79. “Ode to Duty” by William Wordsworth
80. “Ode on Indolence” by John Keats
81. “Ode on Melancholy” by John Keats
82. “To a Skylark” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
83. “Ode to the West Wind” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
84. “The Cloud” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
85. “Crossing the Bar” by Alfred Lord Tennyson
86. “Tears, Idle Tears” by Alfred Lord Tennyson
87. “The Eagle” by Alfred Lord Tennyson
88. “Pied Beauty” by Gerard Manley Hopkins
89. “Spring and Fall” by Gerard Manley Hopkins
90. “God’s Grandeur” by Gerard Manley Hopkins
91. “The Windhover” by Gerard Manley Hopkins
92. “The Darkling Thrush” by Thomas Hardy
93. “Channel Firing” by Thomas Hardy
94. “Hap” by Thomas Hardy
95. “Neutral Tones” by Thomas Hardy
96. “The Convergence of the Twain” by Thomas Hardy
97. “The Ruined Maid” by Thomas Hardy
98. “The Voice” by Thomas Hardy
99. “The Oxen” by Thomas Hardy
100. “Drummer Hodge” by Thomas Hardy
101. “Sonnet 18” – William Shakespeare (14 lines)
102. “Sonnet 116” – William Shakespeare (14 lines)
103. “Ozymandias” – Percy Bysshe Shelley (14 lines)
104. “The Tyger” – William Blake (typically 16–18 lines)
105. “The Lamb” – William Blake (around 20 lines)
106. “London” – William Blake (16 lines)
107. “Nothing Gold Can Stay” – Robert Frost (8 lines)
108. “Fire and Ice” – Robert Frost (9 lines)
109. “The Road Not Taken” – Robert Frost (20 lines)
110. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” – Robert Frost (16 lines)
111. “In a Station of the Metro” – Ezra Pound (2 lines)
112. “This Is Just to Say” – William Carlos Williams (12 lines)
113. “The Red Wheelbarrow” – William Carlos Williams (8 lines)
114. “We Real Cool” – Gwendolyn Brooks (8 lines)
115. “I, Too” – Langston Hughes (5 lines)
116. “Harlem (A Dream Deferred)” – Langston Hughes (often presented in 11 lines)
117. “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” – Dylan Thomas (19 lines)
118. “Hope is the thing with feathers” – Emily Dickinson (12 lines)
119. “I heard a Fly buzz – when I died” – Emily Dickinson (typically 16 lines)
120. “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” – Emily Dickinson (8 lines)
121. “Because I could not stop for Death” – Emily Dickinson (24 lines)
122. “Success is counted sweetest” – Emily Dickinson (9 lines)
123. “Wild nights – Wild nights!” – Emily Dickinson (8 lines)
124. “I died for Beauty” – Emily Dickinson (12 lines)
125. “Death, be not proud” (Holy Sonnet X) – John Donne (14 lines)
126. “When I Consider How My Light is Spent” – John Milton (14 lines)
127. “On His Blindness” – John Milton (14 lines)
128. “Bright Star” – John Keats (14 lines)
129. “La Belle Dame sans Merci” – John Keats (16 lines)
130. “She Walks in Beauty” – Lord Byron (18 lines)
131. “The Destruction of Sennacherib” – Lord Byron (14 lines)
132. “The World Is Too Much with Us” – William Wordsworth (14 lines)
133. “Composed upon Westminster Bridge” – William Wordsworth (14 lines)
134. “Porphyria’s Lover” – Robert Browning (23 lines)
135. “Death – be not proud” – John Donne (see item 25)
136. “Batter my heart” – John Donne (often published as a 14‐line poem)
137. “Song: Go and catch a falling star” – John Donne (around 18 lines)
138. “Mutability” – Percy Bysshe Shelley (approximately 10 lines)
139. “A Poison Tree” (excerpt) – William Blake (the full version is longer, but selected 20‐line excerpts are often used)
140. “The World is Too Much with Us” – William Wordsworth (repeat of item 32; still merits mention for its brevity)
141. “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge” – William Wordsworth (repeat of item 33)
142. “Death – be not proud” – John Donne (repeat; note that several Donne sonnets are frequently reexamined)
143. “When I Consider How My Light is Spent” – John Milton (repeat; highly studied for its compact form)
144. “On His Blindness” – John Milton (repeat)
145. “She Walks in Beauty” – Lord Byron (repeat)
146. “The Eagle” – Alfred Lord Tennyson (8 lines)
147. “Crossing the Bar” – Alfred Lord Tennyson (12 lines)
148. “High Windows” – Philip Larkin (approximately 16 lines)
149. “This Be The Verse” – Philip Larkin (12 lines)
150. “Not Waving but Drowning” – Stevie Smith (12 lines)
151. “One Art” – Elizabeth Bishop (19 lines)
152. “In a Station of the Metro” – Ezra Pound (repeat; extremely short and potent)
153. “The Red Wheelbarrow” – William Carlos Williams (repeat)
154. “This Is Just to Say” – William Carlos Williams (repeat)
155. “We Real Cool” – Gwendolyn Brooks (repeat)
156. “I, Too” – Langston Hughes (repeat)
157. “Harlem (A Dream Deferred)” – Langston Hughes (repeat)
158. “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” – Dylan Thomas (repeat)
159. “Hope is the thing with feathers” – Emily Dickinson (repeat)
160. “I heard a Fly buzz – when I died” – Emily Dickinson (repeat)
161. “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” – Emily Dickinson (repeat)
162. “Because I could not stop for Death” – Emily Dickinson (repeat)
163. “Success is counted sweetest” – Emily Dickinson (repeat)
164. “Wild nights – Wild nights!” – Emily Dickinson (repeat)
165. “I died for Beauty” – Emily Dickinson (repeat)
166. “Death, be not proud” – John Donne (repeat)
167. “When I Consider How My Light is Spent” – John Milton (repeat)
168. “On His Blindness” – John Milton (repeat)
169. “Bright Star” – John Keats (repeat)
170. “La Belle Dame sans Merci” – John Keats (repeat)
171. “She Walks in Beauty” – Lord Byron (repeat)
172. “The Destruction of Sennacherib” – Lord Byron (repeat)
173. “The World Is Too Much with Us” – William Wordsworth (repeat)
174. “Composed upon Westminster Bridge” – William Wordsworth (repeat)
175. “Porphyria’s Lover” – Robert Browning (repeat)
176. “Batter my heart” – John Donne (repeat)
177. “Song: Go and catch a falling star” – John Donne (repeat)
178. “Mutability” – Percy Bysshe Shelley (repeat)
179. “The Eagle” – Alfred Lord Tennyson (repeat)
180. “Crossing the Bar” – Alfred Lord Tennyson (repeat)
181. “High Windows” – Philip Larkin (repeat)
182. “This Be The Verse” – Philip Larkin (repeat)
183. “Not Waving but Drowning” – Stevie Smith (repeat)
184. “One Art” – Elizabeth Bishop (repeat)
185. “In a Station of the Metro” – Ezra Pound (repeat)
186. “The Red Wheelbarrow” – William Carlos Williams (repeat)
187. “This Is Just to Say” – William Carlos Williams (repeat)
188. “We Real Cool” – Gwendolyn Brooks (repeat)
189. “I, Too” – Langston Hughes (repeat)
190. “Harlem (A Dream Deferred)” – Langston Hughes (repeat)
191. “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” – Dylan Thomas (repeat)
192. “Hope is the thing with feathers” – Emily Dickinson (repeat)
193. “I heard a Fly buzz – when I died” – Emily Dickinson (repeat)
194. “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” – Emily Dickinson (repeat)
195. “Because I could not stop for Death” – Emily Dickinson (repeat)
196. “Success is counted sweetest” – Emily Dickinson (repeat)
197. “Wild nights – Wild nights!” – Emily Dickinson (repeat)
198. “I died for Beauty” – Emily Dickinson (repeat)
199. “Death, be not proud” – John Donne (repeat)
200. “When I Consider How My Light is Spent” – John Milton (repeat)

Introduction

“The World Is Too Much With Us” by William Wordsworth is a sonnet that reflects his deep concern about humanity’s growing detachment from nature. Written in the early 19th century, during the Industrial Revolution, the poem critiques materialism and the loss of spiritual connection with the natural world. Wordsworth, a prominent figure of Romanticism, calls for a return to nature and invokes mythological imagery to underscore the gravity of humanity’s alienation.

Summary

The poem opens with Wordsworth lamenting humanity’s obsession with materialism, which has led to a disconnection from nature. He criticizes society for “laying waste” its powers on “getting and spending” and expresses regret that people no longer recognize their bond with the natural world. He describes the sea, winds, and other elements of nature as vibrant and alive, yet humanity remains indifferent to their beauty and significance. Wordsworth wishes he were a pagan who could find meaning and solace in mythological beliefs, imagining visions of Proteus and Triton as symbols of a deeper spiritual connection to the world.

Literary Devices

1. Form and Structure:
   • The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet consisting of 14 lines with an ABBAABBA rhyme scheme in the octave and a variable rhyme scheme in the sestet (CDCDCD).
2. Personification:
   • Nature is personified throughout, such as the sea “bares her bosom to the moon” and the winds are described as “howling at all hours.”
3. Allusion:
   • References to Proteus and Triton, figures from Greek mythology, emphasize the poet’s longing for a spiritual connection with nature.
4. Imagery:
   • Rich visual and auditory imagery, like the “howling winds” and “sleeping flowers,” evokes the beauty and vitality of the natural world.
5. Contrast:
   • The contrast between materialism (“getting and spending”) and the spiritual connection to nature highlights the central conflict.
6. Exclamation and Apostrophe:
   • Wordsworth uses passionate expressions like “Great God!” to convey his intense emotions.
7. Metaphor:
   • “We lay waste our powers” metaphorically describes humanity’s squandering of its potential.

Themes

1. Materialism vs. Nature:
   • Wordsworth critiques the industrial and materialistic culture of his time, which has severed humanity’s bond with nature.
2. Spiritual Alienation:
   • The poem reflects a sense of loss and yearning for a deeper connection to the spiritual and natural world.
3. Romanticism:
   • Celebrates nature as a source of inspiration, beauty, and spiritual fulfillment, emphasizing the Romantic ideal of returning to nature.
4. Mythology and Imagination:
   • The invocation of ancient myths represents a longing for a worldview where nature and spirituality were intertwined.
5. Critique of Modernity:
   • Wordsworth expresses dissatisfaction with the industrial age, which prioritizes economic progress over emotional and spiritual well-being.

Analysis

Wordsworth critiques the societal shift during the Industrial Revolution, which prioritized wealth and progress at the expense of nature. The sonnet’s contemplative tone underscores the poet’s despair about humanity’s spiritual barrenness. By invoking Greek mythology, he suggests that older belief systems, though “outworn,” held a reverence for nature that modern society lacks. The poem aligns with Romantic ideals, advocating for simplicity, introspection, and a reconnection with the natural world.

About the Author

William Wordsworth (1770–1850) was a leading figure in the Romantic movement, known for his deep appreciation of nature and belief in its transformative power. His works often explore themes of nature, spirituality, and human emotion, emphasizing the importance of individual experience and the beauty of the natural world. Wordsworth’s poetry, including the famous Lyrical Ballads (written with Samuel Taylor Coleridge), helped establish Romanticism as a major literary movement.

The World Is Too Much With Us

BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—

Little we see in Nature that is ours;

We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!

This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;

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;

It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be

A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;

So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,

Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;

Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;

Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.

Line 1

“The world is too much with us; late and soon,”

• Word Meanings:
  • The world: Material concerns and worldly pursuits.
  • Too much with us: Overwhelms or consumes us.
  • Late and soon: At all times—both in the past and present.
• Explanation:
  Wordsworth laments humanity’s obsession with materialism and worldly matters, which dominate our lives at all times, leaving little room for nature or spiritual connection.

Line 2

“Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;”

• Word Meanings:
  • Getting and spending: The acts of acquiring and consuming wealth.
  • Lay waste our powers: Squander our potential and energy.
• Explanation:
  The poet criticizes society for exhausting its capabilities in the pursuit of wealth and material possessions, neglecting deeper, more meaningful experiences.

Line 3

“Little we see in Nature that is ours;”

• Word Meanings:
  • Little we see: We hardly recognize.
  • Nature that is ours: The beauty and connection with the natural world.
• Explanation:
  Humanity has become so detached from nature that we no longer appreciate or feel a sense of belonging to it.

Line 4

“We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!”

• Word Meanings:
  • Given our hearts away: Lost our emotional and spiritual connection.
  • Sordid boon: A shameful or tainted gift.
• Explanation:
  By focusing on materialism, we have sacrificed our connection with nature—a tragic and disgraceful exchange.

Line 5

“This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;”

• Word Meanings:
  • Bares her bosom: Exposes herself; personification of the sea as a nurturing, feminine figure.
  • To the moon: Illuminated by the moonlight.
• Explanation:
  Wordsworth evokes the image of the sea as a beautiful, living entity open to the moon’s gaze—a symbol of nature’s intimacy and vitality that we fail to appreciate.

Line 6

“The winds that will be howling at all hours,”

• Word Meanings:
  • Howling: Producing a loud, mournful sound.
  • At all hours: Constantly, symbolizing nature’s restless energy.
• Explanation:
  The poet describes the winds’ untamed force, emphasizing the vibrant and dynamic aspects of nature that humans overlook.

Line 7

“And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;”

• Word Meanings:
  • Up-gathered: Collected or stilled.
  • Sleeping flowers: A simile likening calm winds to flowers at rest.
• Explanation:
  When the winds are calm, they seem to rest like folded or “sleeping” flowers, highlighting the serenity of nature when it’s not in motion.

Line 8

“For this, for everything, we are out of tune;”

• Word Meanings:
  • For this, for everything: Regarding all aspects of nature.
  • Out of tune: Disconnected or not in harmony.
• Explanation:
  Wordsworth laments humanity’s alienation from nature and the inability to resonate with its beauty and rhythms.

Line 9

“It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be”

• Word Meanings:
  • It moves us not: Nature fails to inspire or stir us.
  • Great God!: An exclamation of despair or prayer.
• Explanation:
  Frustrated by humanity’s apathy toward nature, the poet wishes to escape this indifference and seek a more meaningful existence.

Line 10

“A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;”

• Word Meanings:
  • Pagan: A follower of ancient, polytheistic religions.
  • Suckled: Nurtured or raised.
  • Creed outworn: An outdated belief system.
• Explanation:
  Wordsworth would prefer to live as a pagan, guided by old, nature-centered beliefs, rather than conforming to the materialistic worldview of his time.

Line 11

“So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,”

• Word Meanings:
  • So might I: Thus, I might be able to.
  • Lea: Meadow or open grassland.
• Explanation:
  The poet imagines himself in a natural setting where he could reconnect with ancient myths and find solace in nature’s wonders.

Line 12

“Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;”

• Word Meanings:
  • Glimpses: Brief visions or insights.
  • Less forlorn: Less desolate or hopeless.
• Explanation:
  By immersing himself in nature, Wordsworth hopes to gain moments of spiritual enlightenment that could alleviate his sense of despair.

Line 13

“Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;”

• Word Meanings:
  • Proteus: A sea god in Greek mythology who could change shape.
  • Rising from the sea: Emerging from the ocean, symbolizing transformation.
• Explanation:
  Wordsworth longs for mythological visions, such as Proteus, which would inspire awe and rekindle his connection with nature.

Line 14

“Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.”

• Word Meanings:
  • Triton: A Greek sea god, often depicted blowing a conch shell.
  • Wreathèd horn: A twisted or spiral-shaped conch shell.
• Explanation:
  The poet imagines hearing Triton’s conch, a mythical sound that symbolizes the harmony and grandeur of nature, contrasting with humanity’s disconnection.