The World Is To 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 wreathed horn.

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My take:

            The philosophy behind Wordsworth's poem indicates that man has developed into a materialistic being rather than holding nature as the highest order in the world. He offers the reader two sections: the first, being that the world has become simply an item that man has fashioned at his will, suggesting that "little we see in Nature that is ours". The second section implies that nature is "out of tune", and should be held at a higher standard that what man conveys it to be.

            Wordsworth is deeply moved by such a transition that he implies that he'd "rather be a Pagan suckled in a creed outworn". Wordsworth is essentially suggesting that he'd rather go back to the old nature religion, when man had everything served to him by Nature's bounty. But, having wars in the name of God can only do harm to the earth, causing pollution and death, and ultimately disgracing the accord of Nature. He is implying that he would rather be a Pagan so he can be in touch with Nature, the one thing that provides for us, rather than to live in a world based on hate, money, and immorality.

            Dark times exist today because some foods contain cancer causing agents. Milk contains hormones that are making our children (especially young girls) to develop more rapidly than they should. Indeed, this is very dark. Just like Wordsworth's poem, this coincides with the man VS nature aspect.  Both are battling for dominance, and so far, man is winning. Wordsworth is obviously saddened by this as one could imagine. I know I am.