Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumAllusions in Poetry

Read the following poem by William Wordsworth (1770–1850) carefully before choosing your answer:

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 sordord 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.

The allusion to the mythological figures Proteus and Triton in lines 13–14 primarily serves to achieve which of the following effects?

  1. They evoke an ancient, animate conception of nature that stands in stark contrast to the modern world's spiritual disconnection.Answer
  2. B
    They document Wordsworth's personal biographical intent to renounce his Christian faith and convert to ancient Greek polytheism.
  3. C
    They warn the reader of literal maritime dangers and the speaker's fear of unpredictable oceanic forces.
  4. D
    They function primarily as decorative ornaments that label the setting as classical without affecting the poem's thematic focus.
  5. E
    They establish water as a universal, cliché symbol of spiritual rebirth and moral purification for the speaker.

Answer

They evoke an ancient, animate conception of nature that stands in stark contrast to the modern world's spiritual disconnection.
The correct answer is correct because the speaker laments that humanity has lost its connection to nature through industrial materialism. By expressing a preference to be a pagan witnessing sea deities, the speaker shows that even an outdated mythology is preferable to modern indifference, highlighting a desire for a nature that is alive and responsive.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the poem's central conflict and tone.
The speaker expresses profound frustration with modern society's obsession with materialism ('getting and spending') and its consequent alienation from the natural world ('we are out of tune').
Understanding the thematic foundation is necessary to determine how the allusion functions in context.
2
Examine the shift in line 9 ('Great God! I'd rather be...').
The speaker passionately declares a preference for ancient paganism ('a creed outworn') over modern apathy, because it would allow for a deeper connection to nature.
This shift sets up the mythological references as a desirable alternative to the 'sordid boon' of the modern world.
3
Interpret the specific allusions to Proteus and Triton in lines 13–14.
Proteus and Triton are Greek sea deities who personify the ocean's vitality. Seeing or hearing them represents an active, imaginative, and spiritually fulfilling relationship with the environment.
Connecting the allusions to the central conflict reveals their primary function: contrasting ancient harmony with modern spiritual void.

Key Concept

Identifying the thematic function of mythological allusions to contrast past spiritual connection with modern alienation.
Rate this question

Topics

Allusions in Poetry

More questions from this topic