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Difficulty: MediumSpeaker and Perspective

Read the following poem by William Wordsworth (published in 1807) carefully:

(1) The world is too much with us; late and soon,
(2) Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—
(3) Little we see in Nature that is ours;
(4) We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
(5) This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
(6) The winds that will be howling at all hours,
(7) And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;
(8) For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
(9) It moves us not. —Great God! I’d rather be
(10) A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
(11) So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
(12) Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
(13) Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
(14) Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.

In the poem, how does the speaker's perspective shift in lines 9–14 ('Great God! . . . wreathèd horn')?

  1. A
    The speaker maintains a consistently detached and analytical attitude toward nature's beauty throughout the entire poem.
  2. B
    The speaker details the physical movements of the tides and the wind to show how the coastal weather patterns change throughout the day.
  3. The speaker transitions from a collective lamentation of humanity's modern alienation to an individual, passionate yearning for a deeper connection with nature.Answer
  4. D
    The speaker uses personification in lines 5 and 6 and allusions to Greek mythology in lines 13 and 14 to demonstrate knowledge of classical literature.
  5. E
    The poet Wordsworth expresses his personal historical regret that the industrial revolution destroyed rural England, desiring to return to ancient Greece.

Answer

The correct answer states that the speaker transitions from a collective lamentation of humanity's modern alienation to an individual, passionate yearning for a deeper connection with nature.
The correct answer explains that the speaker shifts from a collective perspective, lamenting modern society's spiritual disconnection ('we are out of tune'), to an intense personal perspective starting in line 9 ('I'd rather be / A Pagan'). By expressing a desire to see pagan deities, the speaker reveals a yearning for a vitalized relationship with the natural world that would soothe their loneliness.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the speaker's voice in the first eight lines.
The speaker uses the collective pronouns 'we' and 'our' to criticize modern humanity's focus on commerce ('getting and spending') and its resulting alienation from nature.
This establishes the initial group perspective and tone of frustration and weariness.
2
Analyze the shift in voice and punctuation at line 9.
The phrase 'Great God! I’d rather be' marks a shift to the first-person singular 'I' and displays an exclamation of intense emotion.
This shows a change from collective observation to personal, emotional declaration.
3
Interpret the meaning of the final six lines.
The speaker expresses a preference for paganism because pagan myths ('Proteus', 'Triton') animated nature, which would make the speaker 'less forlorn' (less lonely and alienated).
This explains the nature of the speaker's yearning for connection, confirming the correct interpretation of the shift.

Key Concept

Identifying speaker perspective and analyzing shifts in tone, pronouns, and attitude within a poem.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Speaker and Perspective

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