THE WORLD IS TOO MUCH WITH US MCQ QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
THE WORLD IS TOO MUCH WITH US is a poem composed by Willam Wordsworth. It is part of syllabus of many board exams and competitive exams. Efforts have been made to make it cater the needs of the all concerned. A dedicated article has been on incorporated THE WORLD IS TOO MUCH WITH US LITERARY DEVICES to help you well.
What is the central theme of "The World Is Too Much With Us"?
a) The beauty of industrialization
b) Humanity's disconnection from nature
c) The joy of modern life
d) The power of ancient gods
Answer: b) Humanity's disconnection from natureThe phrase "getting and spending" in the poem refers to:
a) People’s obsession with materialism
b) A life of poverty
c) A spiritual journey
d) The joy of giving
Answer: a) People’s obsession with materialismWhat does Wordsworth mean by "Little we see in Nature that is ours"?
a) Nature is disappearing
b) Humans no longer appreciate nature
c) Nature is owned by the wealthy
d) Animals are taking over
Answer: b) Humans no longer appreciate natureThe speaker in the poem expresses a longing to be:
a) A wealthy merchant
b) A Pagan worshipper of nature
c) A king
d) A modern scientist
Answer: b) A Pagan worshipper of natureWhich mythological figures does Wordsworth mention?
a) Zeus and Hera
b) Proteus and Triton
c) Apollo and Athena
d) Odin and Thor
Answer: b) Proteus and Triton
The poem is written in the form of a:
a) Sonnet
b) Ballad
c) Ode
d) Free verse
Answer: a) SonnetWhat type of sonnet is "The World Is Too Much With Us"?
a) Petrarchan
b) Shakespearean
c) Spenserian
d) Miltonic
Answer: a) PetrarchanThe line "This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon" uses:
a) Simile
b) Metaphor
c) Personification
d) Alliteration
Answer: c) Personification"We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!" is an example of:
a) Oxymoron
b) Hyperbole
c) Paradox
d) Irony
Answer: a) Oxymoron ("sordid boon")The tone of the poem can best be described as:
a) Joyful
b) Satirical
c) Mournful and critical
d) Indifferent
Answer: c) Mournful and critical
Wordsworth’s poem is a reaction against:
a) The French Revolution
b) The Industrial Revolution
c) The Renaissance
d) The Crusades
Answer: b) The Industrial RevolutionThe "world" in the title refers to:
a) The planet Earth
b) Materialistic society
c) The universe
d) A distant land
Answer: b) Materialistic societyWhat does Wordsworth suggest about modern humanity?
a) It is more enlightened than the past
b) It has lost touch with spiritual and natural beauty
c) It is happier than ancient civilizations
d) It is more religious
Answer: b) It has lost touch with spiritual and natural beautyWhy does Wordsworth reference Paganism?
a) To criticize ancient religions
b) To show admiration for a closer connection to nature
c) To promote modern Christianity
d) To mock mythology
Answer: b) To show admiration for a closer connection to natureThe "winds that will be howling at all hours" symbolize:
a) Danger
b) Untamed nature
c) Industrial noise
d) War
Answer: b) Untamed nature
The volta (turn) in the poem occurs at:
a) Line 8 ("Great God!")
b) Line 12 ("For this, for everything")
c) Line 1 ("The world is too much with us")
d) Line 14 ("And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers")
Answer: a) Line 8 ("Great God!")"Sordid boon" implies that materialism is:
a) A generous gift
b) A corrupt blessing
c) A divine reward
d) A fleeting joy
Answer: b) A corrupt blessingWordsworth’s critique aligns most closely with which philosophical movement?
a) Romanticism
b) Realism
c) Modernism
d) Existentialism
Answer: a) RomanticismThe poem’s closing image ("sleeping flowers") suggests:
a) Death and decay
b) Renewal and potential
c) Artificial beauty
d) A forgotten past
Answer: b) Renewal and potentialWordsworth’s use of exclamation ("Great God!") serves to:
a) Show anger at religion
b) Emphasize despair and frustration
c) Praise modern society
d) Mock ancient beliefs
Answer: b) Emphasize despair and frustration
Compared to Coleridge’s "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," Wordsworth’s poem is more focused on:
a) Supernatural punishment
b) The loss of nature’s sanctity
c) Nautical adventures
d) Gothic horror
Answer: b) The loss of nature’s sanctityWhich other Romantic poet shares Wordsworth’s concern about industrialization?
a) Lord Byron
b) John Keats
c) Percy Shelley
d) William Blake
Answer: d) William BlakeThe poem’s message is most opposed to which ideology?
a) Environmentalism
b) Capitalism
c) Socialism
d) Romanticism
Answer: b) CapitalismWordsworth’s view of nature contrasts with that of:
a) A scientist who sees nature as a resource
b) A painter who captures landscapes
c) A farmer who works the land
d) A priest who sees nature as God’s creation
Answer: a) A scientist who sees nature as a resourceIf Wordsworth were alive today, he would likely criticize:
a) Digital addiction
b) Space exploration
c) Classical music
d) Traditional farming
Answer: a) Digital addiction
Proteus, mentioned in the poem, is a figure from:
a) Roman mythology
b) Greek mythology
c) Norse mythology
d) Egyptian mythology
Answer: b) Greek mythologyProteus is known for his ability to:
a) Control the seas
b) Change shapes
c) Predict the future
d) Command the winds
Answer: b) Change shapesTriton, the other mythological figure referenced, is associated with:
a) The sky
b) The sea
c) The underworld
d) War
Answer: b) The seaWordsworth’s choice of these gods emphasizes:
a) The unpredictability of nature
b) The power of modern science
c) The decline of ancient religions
d) The superiority of Christianity
Answer: a) The unpredictability of natureThe reference to Paganism serves to contrast:
a) Past spiritual harmony vs. modern materialism
b) Ancient war vs. modern peace
c) Greek vs. Roman beliefs
d) Monotheism vs. polytheism
Answer: a) Past spiritual harmony vs. modern materialism
The rhyme scheme of the octave in this Petrarchan sonnet is:
a) ABBA ABBA
b) ABAB CDCD
c) AABB CCDD
d) ABC ABC
Answer: a) ABBA ABBAThe sestet’s rhyme scheme is:
a) CDCDCD
b) CDECDE
c) EFEFEF
d) CDDCDC
Answer: b) CDECDEThe poem’s meter is primarily:
a) Iambic pentameter
b) Trochaic tetrameter
c) Anapestic trimeter
d) Dactylic hexameter
Answer: a) Iambic pentameterThe line “For this, for everything, we are out of tune” uses:
a) Alliteration
b) Assonance
c) Onomatopoeia
d) Caesura
Answer: a) Alliteration (“for,” “for”) and b) Assonance (“out,” “tune”)The enjambment in the poem serves to:
a) Create a sense of urgency
b) Mimic the natural flow of thought
c) Disrupt the rhythm
d) Emphasize rhyme
Answer: b) Mimic the natural flow of thought
The poem critiques humanity’s:
a) Lack of technological progress
b) Disconnection from nature and spirituality
c) Over-reliance on religion
d) Fear of the unknown
Answer: b) Disconnection from nature and spiritualityWordsworth’s idea of nature in the poem is closest to:
a) A resource to exploit
b) A divine, living force
c) A scientific phenomenon
d) A dangerous wilderness
Answer: b) A divine, living forceThe phrase “we are out of tune” suggests:
a) Musical incompetence
b) A loss of harmony with nature
c) A dislike for art
d) A preference for silence
Answer: b) A loss of harmony with natureThe poem’s lament aligns with which Romantic ideal?
a) Emotion over reason
b) Industrial progress
c) Political revolution
d) Urbanization
Answer: a) Emotion over reasonWordsworth’s critique is most directed at:
a) The aristocracy
b) The working class
c) The materialistic middle class
d) Religious leaders
Answer: c) The materialistic middle class
Which Keats poem shares Wordsworth’s concern for lost connection with nature?
a) Ode to a Nightingale
b) To Autumn
c) La Belle Dame Sans Merci
d) Ode on a Grecian Urn
Answer: b) To AutumnCompared to Blake’s London, Wordsworth’s poem is:
a) More optimistic
b) Less critical of industrialization
c) More focused on nature than urban suffering
d) More political
Answer: c) More focused on nature than urban sufferingShelley’s Ozymandias and Wordsworth’s poem both critique:
a) The fleeting nature of power
b) Human arrogance
c) The decay of civilization
d) The indifference of nature
Answer: b) Human arroganceUnlike Wordsworth, Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner focuses more on:
a) Guilt and redemption
b) Joy in materialism
c) The beauty of cities
d) Scientific discovery
Answer: a) Guilt and redemptionA modern work with a similar theme is:
a) *1984* (Orwell) – surveillance
b) Silent Spring (Carson) – environmentalism
c) Brave New World (Huxley) – technology
d) The Road (McCarthy) – apocalypse
Answer: b) Silent Spring (Carson) – environmentalism
An ecocritical reading of the poem would emphasize:
a) Its anti-capitalist message
b) Its portrayal of nature as a commodity
c) Its call for environmental stewardship
d) Its rejection of mythology
Answer: c) Its call for environmental stewardshipA Marxist critic might argue the poem critiques:
a) The alienation of labor
b) The excesses of the aristocracy
c) The commodification of life
d) The irrelevance of religion
Answer: c) The commodification of lifeThe poem’s historical context (early 1800s) includes:
a) The rise of factories
b) The decline of monarchy
c) The discovery of electricity
d) The spread of democracy
Answer: a) The rise of factoriesWordsworth’s use of the sonnet form is ironic because:
a) Sonnets were outdated by 1802
b) It contrasts with the poem’s anti-traditional message
c) Sonnets were used for love, not critique
d) The form is too rigid for Romanticism
Answer: b) It contrasts with the poem’s anti-traditional messageThe poem’s enduring relevance lies in its warning against:
a) Technological advancement
b) Consumerist culture
c) Religious dogma
d) Artistic decline
Answer: b) Consumerist culture
The “boon” in “sordid boon” is ironic because it implies:
a) A gift that is actually a curse
b) A blessing from God
c) A natural reward
d) A financial windfall
Answer: a) A gift that is actually a curseThe shift from “we” to “I” in the poem suggests:
a) A personal rejection of society
b) A collective awakening
c) A religious conversion
d) A political manifesto
Answer: a) A personal rejection of societyThe “sleeping flowers” metaphor implies nature is:
a) Dead
b) Temporally dormant but alive
c) Artificially maintained
d) A decorative object
Answer: b) Temporally dormant but aliveWordsworth’s critique is closest to which philosopher’s ideas?
a) Karl Marx
b) Jean-Jacques Rousseau
c) Friedrich Nietzsche
d) John Locke
Answer: b) Jean-Jacques Rousseau (on nature vs. society)The poem’s closing lines suggest hope through:
a) A return to Paganism
b) The resilience of nature
c) The inevitability of progress
d) Divine intervention
Answer: b) The resilience of natureThe “Sea that bares her bosom to the moon” juxtaposes:
a) Femininity and violence
b) Nature’s vulnerability and cosmic order
c) Eroticism and chastity
d) Modernity and tradition
Answer: b) Nature’s vulnerability and cosmic orderThe poem’s volta (turn) introduces:
a) A solution
b) A deeper despair
c) A mythological escape
d) A political agenda
Answer: c) A mythological escapeWordsworth’s tone shifts from _____ to _____.
a) Anger → resignation
b) Despair → defiance
c) Joy → sorrow
d) Indifference → passion
Answer: b) Despair → defianceThe “winds that will be howling” symbolize nature’s:
a) Indifference
b) Uncontrollable power
c) Submission to humanity
d) Silence
Answer: b) Uncontrollable powerThe poem’s form (sonnet) contrasts with its message to highlight:
a) The rigidity of tradition vs. the chaos of modernity
b) The beauty of structure vs. the ugliness of nature
c) The brevity of life vs. the eternity of art
d) The order of poetry vs. the disorder of society
Answer: a) The rigidity of tradition vs. the chaos of modernityA Freudian reading might interpret “getting and spending” as:
a) Sublimation of desires
b) Oedipal conflict
c) Repression of instincts
d) Death drive
Answer: a) Sublimation of desiresThe poem’s imagery of the sea and moon evokes:
a) The sublime
b) The picturesque
c) The grotesque
d) The mundane
Answer: a) The sublimeWordsworth’s use of exclamation (“Great God!”) mirrors:
a) Biblical prophecy
b) Romantic spontaneity
c) Classical restraint
d) Enlightenment rationality
Answer: b) Romantic spontaneityThe poem’s closing line (“sleeping flowers”) contrasts with the opening by suggesting:
a) Cyclical renewal
b) Permanent decay
c) Artificial beauty
d) Human dominance
Answer: a) Cyclical renewalThe most radical aspect of the poem is its:
a) Rejection of Christianity
b) Embrace of Paganism
c) Critique of capitalism
d) Use of sonnet form
Answer: c) Critique of capitalism
The poem’s meter mirrors its theme by:
Answer: Using iambic pentameter to contrast natural rhythm vs. societal disruption.Wordsworth’s nostalgia for Paganism reflects:
Answer: Romantic idealization of pre-industrial spirituality.The “sordid boon” is an example of:
Answer: Oxymoron (corrupt blessing).The poem’s historical context includes backlash against:
Answer: Enlightenment rationalism.A structuralist reading would focus on:
Answer: Binary oppositions (nature/culture, past/present).The “howling winds” contrast with modern humanity’s:
Answer: Emotional sterility.The sonnet’s brevity underscores:
Answer: The urgency of Wordsworth’s message.The poem’s ecological message predates:
Answer: Modern environmentalism.Wordsworth’s “out of tune” metaphor derives from:
Answer: Musical harmony as a symbol for cosmic order.The poem’s lasting power comes from its:
Answer: Timeless critique of materialism.
THE WORLD IS TOO MUCH WITH US LITERARY DEVICES
1. Alliteration
Line: "Little we see in Nature that is ours"
Explanation: Repetition of the "w" and "n" sounds creates a rhythmic emphasis on humanity's disconnection from nature.
2. Personification
Line: "This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon"
Explanation: The sea is given human qualities ("bares her bosom"), emphasizing nature’s vulnerability and beauty.
3. Oxymoron
Line: "We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!"
Explanation: "Sordid boon" (a corrupt blessing) highlights the irony of materialism being both a gift and a curse.
4. Apostrophe
Line: "Great God! I’d rather be / A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn"
Explanation: The speaker directly addresses God, expressing his frustration with modern society.
5. Enjambment
Lines: "Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;— / Little we see in Nature that is ours"
Explanation: The thought continues beyond the line break, mimicking the relentless pace of modern life.
6. Metaphor
Line: "We are out of tune"
Explanation: Humanity’s disharmony with nature is compared to musical discord.
7. Allusion
Lines: "Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea; / Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn"
Explanation: References to Greek sea gods (Proteus and Triton) contrast ancient reverence for nature with modern indifference.
8. Hyperbole
Line: "The world is too much with us"
Explanation: Exaggerates humanity’s overwhelming preoccupation with materialism.
9. Caesura
Line: "Great God! || I’d rather be / A Pagan..."
Explanation: The pause (marked by "||") emphasizes the speaker’s emotional outburst.
10. Imagery (Visual & Auditory)
Line: "The winds that will be howling at all hours"
Explanation: Vividly depicts nature’s wild, untamed power through sound and motion.
11. Irony
Line: "A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn"
Explanation: The speaker ironically prefers an "outdated" Pagan worldview over modern disconnection.
12. Symbolism
Line: "Sleeping flowers"
Explanation: Represents dormant but enduring natural beauty, contrasting with human busyness.
13. Assonance
Line: "For this, for everything, we are out of tune"
Explanation: Repetition of the "ou" sound ("out," "tune") creates a melancholic tone.
14. Juxtaposition
Lines: "Getting and spending" vs. "sleeping flowers"
Explanation: Contrasts human materialism with nature’s quiet resilience.
15. Volta (Turn)
Line: "Great God! I’d rather be..." (Line 9)
Explanation: The poem shifts from critique to a personal longing for a deeper connection with nature.
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