Practice "the World Is Too Much With Us" By William Wordsworth (2.6.2) - Unit 2: Poetry Analysis
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"The World is Too Much With Us" by William Wordsworth

Practice - "The World is Too Much With Us" by William Wordsworth

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Practice Questions

Test your understanding with targeted questions

Question 1 Easy

What is the "Sordid Boon" Wordsworth refers to, and why is it an oxymoron?

  • Answer: The "boon" refers to the wealth and industrial progress of the age. It is "sordid" because it is morally corrupt, as it requires us to sell our souls and lose our connection to nature. The oxymoron combines something positive (boon) with something negative (sordid) to show the hidden cost of materialism.
  • Hint: Think about the "P.M.S." mnemonic—specifically the Materialism part.

💡 Hint: Think about the "P.M.S." mnemonic—specifically the Materialism part.

Question 2 Easy

Define Volta as it appears in the glossary.

  • Answer: The turn in thought or argument that occurs in a sonnet, typically located between the octave and the sestet.
  • Hint: It’s the "U-turn" of the poem's logic.

💡 Hint: It’s the "U-turn" of the poem's logic.

4 more questions available

Interactive Quizzes

Quick quizzes to reinforce your learning

Question 1

In a Petrarchan sonnet, what is the standard rhyme scheme for the first eight lines (the octave)?

  • Type: MCQ
  • Options: ABAB CDCD, ABBA ABBA, AABB CCDD, ABAB ABAB
  • Correct Answer: ABBA ABBA
  • Explanation: This is the traditional Italian/Petrarchan form that Wordsworth utilizes to structure his argument.
  • Hint: It’s in the Flashcards section.
ABAB CDCD
ABBA ABBA
AABB CCDD
ABAB ABAB * **Correct Answer**: ABBA ABBA * **Explanation**: This is the traditional Italian/Petrarchan form that Wordsworth utilizes to structure his argument. * **Hint**: It’s in the Flashcards section.

💡 Hint: It’s in the Flashcards section.

Question 2

Wordsworth believes that the Industrial Revolution has improved humanity's spiritual connection to the world.

  • Type: Boolean
  • Options: True, False
  • Correct Answer: False
  • Explanation: Wordsworth argues the opposite; he believes industrialization and materialism have "deafened" us to nature and caused spiritual loss.
  • Hint: Review the "Short Summary."
True
False * **Correct Answer**: False * **Explanation**: Wordsworth argues the opposite; he believes industrialization and materialism have "deafened" us to nature and caused spiritual loss. * **Hint**: Review the "Short Summary."

💡 Hint: Review the "Short Summary."

1 more question available

Challenge Problems

Push your limits with advanced challenges

Challenge 1 Hard

The Modern Critique: If Wordsworth were alive in 2026, how might he rewrite the line "Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers" to reflect our current "digital" materialism?

  • Solution: He might write something like: "Scrolling and posting, we lay waste our sight," or "Streaming and liking, we consume our souls." Both maintain the iambic rhythm while highlighting how digital consumption, like industrial consumption, distracts us from the physical, natural world.
  • Hint: Think about what we "get and spend" our time on today.

💡 Hint: Think about what we "get and spend" our time on today.

Challenge 2 Hard

Visual Analysis: Look at the personification in line 5: "The Sea that bares her bosom to the moon." Why is this imagery more effective than simply saying "the tide was high"?

  • Answer: By using the word "bosom," Wordsworth gives the sea a human-like maternal or vulnerable quality. This makes the "disconnection" feel more like a betrayal of a family member rather than just a loss of scenery. It emphasizes the "heart" that he says we have "given away."
  • Hint: Review the "Literary Devices" section on Personification.

💡 Hint: Review the "Literary Devices" section on Personification.

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