--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The world is too much with us; late and…" description: "\"“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 h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/william-wordsworth-403_animism_the-world-is-too-much-with-us-late-and-s_2568680.jpg" --- # The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and… ![“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…” quote by William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/william-wordsworth-403_animism_the-world-is-too-much-with-us-late-and-s_2568680.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/william-wordsworth-403_animism_the-world-is-too-much-with-us-late-and-s_2568680.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/william-wordsworth-403_animism_the-world-is-too-much-with-us-late-and-s_2568680.jpg) > ““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.”” [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage laments humanity’s disconnection from nature, yearning for a return to natural rhythms and mythic wonder. **In simple terms:** People have lost touch with nature and myth. Key Takeaway Reconnect with nature and mythic imagination. Themes nature disconnection myth industrialization Mood melancholic contemplative Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - urban life - environmental activism - creative writing Key Concepts environmental alienation spiritual longing romanticism Questions to Reflect On - How can you restore natural harmony? - What mythic symbols inspire you? A Different Perspective Modern life offers many ways to stay connected to nature. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animism/) [Exhaustion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exhaustion/) [Loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss/) [Modernity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modernity/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude/) ## Related quotes > [Great God! 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I'd rather be a Pagan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/great-god-i-d-rather-be-a-pagan/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [“Bruce Waltke, Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/bruce-waltke-finding-the-will-of-god-a-pagan-notion/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [“The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers; Little we see in Nature that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/the-world-is-too-much-with-us-late-and-soon-getting-and-spending-we/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [“We are the most open-feeling that we can be, when we can no longer be as we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-kelley-harrell/we-are-the-most-open-feeling-that-we-can-be-when-we-can-no-longer-be/) [S. Kelley Harrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-kelley-harrell/) > [“It is a well known fact that even among highly cultured peoples the belief in animism prevails generally. Even the scholar may kick the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-estil-cunningham/it-is-a-well-known-fact-that-even-among-highly-cultured-peoples-the/) [Holly Estil Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-estil-cunningham/) > [“All Things are in constant relationship, and shamanic journey is the choice to put one’s self in direct contact and concert with that relationship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-kelley-harrell/all-things-are-in-constant-relationship-and-shamanic-journey-is-the/) [S. Kelley Harrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-kelley-harrell/) > [“In the end, bless the darkness, hold the light, because the two aren't divisible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-kelley-harrell/in-the-end-bless-the-darkness-hold-the-light-because-the-two-aren-t/) [S. Kelley Harrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-kelley-harrell/) > [Animism is not a belief system, but a worldview: The world is a sacred place and we are part of it. The factuality of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/animism-is-not-a-belief-system-but-a-worldview-the-world-is-a-sacred/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [“But this is not to say that a highly specialized body of belief such as that associated with Faerie is not capable of subsidiary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-spence/but-this-is-not-to-say-that-a-highly-specialized-body-of-belief-such/) [Lewis Spence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-spence/) > [“The reality is, it takes daily cultivation of a spiritual path, preferably with spiritual kin in proximity, to sustain not the feeling of elation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-kelley-harrell/the-reality-is-it-takes-daily-cultivation-of-a-spiritual-path/) [S. Kelley Harrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-kelley-harrell/) > [Increasing numbers of Pagans are identifying themselves as animists or naming their worldview as animism. Some Pagans use the term animism to refer to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-harvey/increasing-numbers-of-pagans-are-identifying-themselves-as-animists/) [Graham Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-harvey/) > [“...our philosophy has preserved essential traits of animistic modes of thought such as the over-estimation of the magic of words and the belief that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/our-philosophy-has-preserved-essential-traits-of-animistic-modes-of/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [“People forget that humans are animals too, that we're just as much a part of the wild places as the things that live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-h-o-neil-2/people-forget-that-humans-are-animals-too-that-we-re-just-as-much-a/) Vincent H. O Neil ## More by William Wordsworth > [Spade! Thou art a tool of honor in my hands. I press thee, through a yielding soil, with pride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/spade-thou-art-a-tool-of-honor-in-my-hands-i-press-thee-through-a/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [Brothers all In honour, as in one community, Scholars and gentlemen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/brothers-all-in-honour-as-in-one-community-scholars-and-gentlemen/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [The eye— it cannot choose but see; we cannot bid the ear be still; our bodies feel, where'er they be, against or with our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/the-eye-it-cannot-choose-but-see-we-cannot-bid-the-ear-be-still-our/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [“Dreams, books, are each a world; and books, we know, Are a substantial world, both pure and good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/dreams-books-are-each-a-world-and-books-we-know-are-a-substantial/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [Now when the primrose makes a splendid show, And lilies face the March-winds in full blow, And humbler growths as moved with one desire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/now-when-the-primrose-makes-a-splendid-show-and-lilies-face-the-march/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [“Where are your books? - that light bequeathed To beings else forlorn and blind! Up! up! and drink the spirit breathed From dead men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/where-are-your-books-that-light-bequeathed-to-beings-else-forlorn-and/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [Knowledge and increase of enduring joy From the great Nature that exists in works Of mighty Poets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/knowledge-and-increase-of-enduring-joy-from-the-great-nature-that/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [The common growth of Mother Earth Suffices me,-her tears, her mirth, Her humblest mirth and tears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/the-common-growth-of-mother-earth-suffices-me-her-tears-her-mirth-her/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [And he is oft the wisest manWho is not wise at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/and-he-is-oft-the-wisest-manwho-is-not-wise-at-all/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [The oldest man he seemed that ever wore grey hairs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/the-oldest-man-he-seemed-that-ever-wore-grey-hairs/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [“She was a Phantom of delight When first she gleam'd upon my sight; A lovely Apparition, sent To be a moment's ornament: Her eyes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/she-was-a-phantom-of-delight-when-first-she-gleam-d-upon-my-sight-a/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [“If the time should ever come when what is now called science, thus familiarised to men, shall be ready to put on, as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/if-the-time-should-ever-come-when-what-is-now-called-science-thus/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [Truth takes no account of centuries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/truth-takes-no-account-of-centuries/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [I have felt a presence that disturbs me with the joy of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime of something far more deeply interfused, whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/i-have-felt-a-presence-that-disturbs-me-with-the-joy-of-elevated/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [Like thoughts whose very sweetness yielded proof that they were born for immortality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/like-thoughts-whose-very-sweetness-yielded-proof-that-they-were-born/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) [Explore all 587 William Wordsworth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) ## More Animism quotes > [“People forget that humans are animals too, that we're just as much a part of the wild places as the things that live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-h-o-neil-2/people-forget-that-humans-are-animals-too-that-we-re-just-as-much-a/) Vincent H. O Neil > [“...our philosophy has preserved essential traits of animistic modes of thought such as the over-estimation of the magic of words and the belief that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/our-philosophy-has-preserved-essential-traits-of-animistic-modes-of/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [Increasing numbers of Pagans are identifying themselves as animists or naming their worldview as animism. Some Pagans use the term animism to refer to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-harvey/increasing-numbers-of-pagans-are-identifying-themselves-as-animists/) [Graham Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-harvey/) > [“The reality is, it takes daily cultivation of a spiritual path, preferably with spiritual kin in proximity, to sustain not the feeling of elation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-kelley-harrell/the-reality-is-it-takes-daily-cultivation-of-a-spiritual-path/) [S. Kelley Harrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-kelley-harrell/) > [“But this is not to say that a highly specialized body of belief such as that associated with Faerie is not capable of subsidiary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-spence/but-this-is-not-to-say-that-a-highly-specialized-body-of-belief-such/) [Lewis Spence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-spence/) > [Animism is not a belief system, but a worldview: The world is a sacred place and we are part of it. The factuality of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/animism-is-not-a-belief-system-but-a-worldview-the-world-is-a-sacred/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [“In the end, bless the darkness, hold the light, because the two aren't divisible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-kelley-harrell/in-the-end-bless-the-darkness-hold-the-light-because-the-two-aren-t/) [S. Kelley Harrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-kelley-harrell/) > [“All Things are in constant relationship, and shamanic journey is the choice to put one’s self in direct contact and concert with that relationship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-kelley-harrell/all-things-are-in-constant-relationship-and-shamanic-journey-is-the/) [S. Kelley Harrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-kelley-harrell/) > [“It is a well known fact that even among highly cultured peoples the belief in animism prevails generally. Even the scholar may kick the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-estil-cunningham/it-is-a-well-known-fact-that-even-among-highly-cultured-peoples-the/) [Holly Estil Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-estil-cunningham/) > [“We are the most open-feeling that we can be, when we can no longer be as we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-kelley-harrell/we-are-the-most-open-feeling-that-we-can-be-when-we-can-no-longer-be/) [S. Kelley Harrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-kelley-harrell/) > [“The demons of animism were usually hostile to man, but it seems as though man had more confidence in himself in those days than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/the-demons-of-animism-were-usually-hostile-to-man-but-it-seems-as/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [“Zeena Schreck is a Berlin-based interdisciplinary artist, author, musician/composer, tantric teacher, mystic, animal rights activist, and counter-culture icon known by her mononymous artist name,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeena-schreck/zeena-schreck-is-a-berlin-based-interdisciplinary-artist-author/) [Zeena Schreck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeena-schreck/) > [“There are Tantrics who deliberately seek to do more active forms of renunciation, so transgression of social norms and breaking of taboo, and breaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeena-schreck/there-are-tantrics-who-deliberately-seek-to-do-more-active-forms-of/) [Zeena Schreck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeena-schreck/) > [“Children arrive animists. They learn about life, themselves, and empathy by imagining the liveliness of everything they come into contact with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-kelley-harrell/children-arrive-animists-they-learn-about-life-themselves-and-empathy/) [S. Kelley Harrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-kelley-harrell/) > [“All the major world religions (always excluding animism, of course), are founded on these notions: that man and man alone was the desired object…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/all-the-major-world-religions-always-excluding-animism-of-course-are/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) [Browse all 41 Animism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“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! 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