Agora Journal Volume 11, 2020
Blinded by Nature: Wordsworth and Auden on Human Suffering and Apathy
Erykah Brown
Winner of the Student Writer Award Gold Medal, Analytical Essay Category (1st-2nd Year)

Though composed over a hundred years apart, William Wordsworth's “The world is too
much with us” and W. H. Auden's “Musee Des Beaux Arts” keenly explore the human condition
as it relates to suffering. The authors highlight society’s shortcomings with respect to being
socially aware. In “The world is too much with us,” Wordsworth presents a speaker who is angry
about how overwhelming the world has become as people become enamoured with materialism
and lose sight of the joys that the natural world brings to humankind. He longs for the days when
mankind communed with nature. On the other hand, W. H. Auden’s poem comments on how
materialism has rendered society blind to the suffering of others as we become tunnel-visioned
on the labours that will be fruitful only for ourselves and dare not turn to acknowledge the
plights of others. His allusion to the artwork “The Fall of Icarus” is a perfect image to pair with
his commentary as it illustrates Icarus’ demise as just another thing that must happen while the
world keeps spinning. In both poems, the personas are critical of our social behaviours and evoke
a blended sense of sympathy and pity in the reader. Wordsworth and Auden comment on
mankind’s ignorance of suffering, whether it be their own or others, through various literary
characteristics, including structure, form, tone, and poetic devices.
Wordsworth and Auden first establish their commentary through the structural
characteristics of their poems. Wordsworth’s poem is a Petrarchan sonnet written in iambic
pentameter: the poem features fourteen lines separated into an octet and a sestet that follows a
strict rhyme scheme of ABBAABBA CDCDCD. The octet traditionally depicts a problem
followed by a response in the sestet. In “The world is too much with us,” the speaker presents the
problem: people are too preoccupied with the “getting and spending” and “lay[ing] waste to our
powers” (Wordsworth 2). Throughout the octet, the speaker is critical of society as a whole
(himself included) and uses first-person plural pronouns such a “us,” “our.” and “we.” As the

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poem extends into the sestet, the speaker expresses his personal solution to this problem: he
wishes he was a pagan, so he could see ancient gods that exemplify oneness with nature.
In addition, such a fixed structure forces the author to choose his words especially
carefully, which helps to clearly and concisely express the speaker's strong emotions toward the
subject. For example, the speaker describes mankind’s obsession with consumerism/materialism
as a “sordid boon” (Wordsworth 4). A “boon” (Wordsworth 4) is a beneficial thing, but when
preceded by the adjective “sordid” (Wordsworth 4), which describes an ignoble action, the
author creates an oxymoron that emphasizes the imbalance between this gift-exchange of nature
for industrialism. The speaker believes that the pure goodness of nature could never be equated
to the superficial benefits of materialism. Another instance of precise word choice is seen in line
twelve, where the speaker expresses that even a glimpse of ancient gods of the seas would soothe
his loneliness (Wordsworth 12-14). By choosing the word “glimpse,” the author highlights just
how sad the speaker feels such that even a tiny spectacle would mean the world to him.
Similarly, the structure and form of W. H. Auden’s “Musee Des Beaux Arts'' helps to
convey the idea of social awareness, particularly the lack thereof. Although “Musee des Beaux
Arts” is not a poem of fourteen lines written in iambic pentameter, like Wordsworth’s piece, the
free form poem resembles a sonnet. The first stanza has thirteen lines that present a specific
observation just as the octet in a sonnet would. He posits that the Old Masters “were never
wrong” in their understanding of human suffering (Auden 1-3). The second stanza has eight
lines, wherein the speaker refers to Bruegel’s painting in response to how commonplace
suffering is in life. In addition, Auden uses a subtle form of rhyme throughout the poem. Instead
of an obvious and strict rhyme scheme, as in Woodsworth’s poem, Auden uses end-rhymes in
pairs that are unevenly distributed throughout the poem, creating a very discreet scheme (Sarot).
For example, in the first stanza, line two ends with the phrase “how well they understood''
(Auden 2); the line containing the corresponding end rhyme does not appear until line eight
which ends with the word “wood.”
Auden’s poem also utilizes enjambment: many of the poem’s lines end mid-clause, and
the thought is continued in the following line. This reduces the stress on the rhyming words as
the reader spends only a brief moment before continuing to the next line (Sarot). The use of
enjambment is also reflective of the idea that people rarely pause their daily lives to
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acknowledge the suffering of those around them. Coupled with the loose rhyme scheme and free
verse form, the use enjambment in Auden’s “Musee Des Beaux Arts” creates a structure that
mirrors the indifference to human suffering that the poem's speaker refers to.
Next, the authors engage the speakers’ tones as a means to further elaborate on the
problem of social unawareness. The speaker in Wordsworth’s poem transitions through a myriad
of emotions as the poem progresses, which can be noted through tone. In the beginning, the
speaker expresses an exacting analysis of post-industrial urban life: “The world is too much with
us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers” (Wordsworth 2). This sets the
tone for the first half of the poem. Such an emphatic position signals a bold distaste for humans’
preoccupation with material things. The speaker's tone goes from critical to frustrated throughout
these first few lines. We see frustration through the lack of complete sentences: he says, “late and
soon, getting and spending” (Wordsworth 2). These short phrases suggest that the speaker is
annoyed or irritated by the actions described. The speaker’s tone then transitions into
disappointment as he mentions the impure gift of consumerism that we have accepted in
exchange for the pure goodness of being one with nature. This disappointment slowly bubbles
into anger as the speaker notes all the natural beauty around us, to which we have become
oblivious (Woodsworth 5-8). The peak of this anger is evident in line 9 with the exclamation
“Great God!”. This apostrophe acts as a turning point for the tone of the poem. It is as though the
speaker becomes exhausted by his anger and frustration with the happenings of the world such
that the subsequent lines take on an almost wishful tone. The speaker is so desperate for a
restored connection with nature that he is willing to be a “Pagan suckled in a creed outworn”
(Wordsworth 10) renouncing Christian faith in favour of ancient mythologies that are more in
tune with nature. This line also highlights the speaker’s desperation in that the speaker’s
description of paganism as "outworn" is an admission of the futility of the wish. It can only be a
mere thought because it is impossible to attain (Callan). The word “suckled,” which refers to
being nurtured by breast milk, presents the speaker as a powerless infant, further illuminating his
distress and desperation.
Unlike in Wordsworth's poem, the speaker in “Musee des Beaux Arts” is neither angry
nor desperate. Instead, the poem takes on a conversational tone, and the speaker is quite
nonchalant and distanced from the things that he is describing. The author uses inverted syntax in
the first two lines of the poem, “About suffering they were never wrong, The Old Masters.” This
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gives the impression that the speaker is sharing his thoughts out loud as he is slowly formulating
his opinion about what he sees, like a connoisseur of arts ruminating on a painting (Benz). This
conversational approach lightens the mood given the serious issue being discussed. Additionally,
the nonchalance mimics the social behaviours of those whom he is describing. Just as suffering
takes place along with the humdrum of “eating or opening a window” (Auden 4), so does the
speaker casually present his observations in a prosaic manner despite the seriousness of it all.
Auden’s word choices and their placements also influence the distanced, conversational tone of
the poem: he uses words that make long sounds and juxtaposes significant events with trivial
ones. For example, the speaker mentions “the dreadful martyrdom” —a reference to the
crucifixion of Christ—then contrasts it with the mundane acts of “dogs go[ing] on with their
doggy life and the torturers’ horse scratch[ing] its innocent behind ” (Auden 10-13). Longsounding words like ‘dreadful’ and ‘torturers’’ also slow the reader's pace and support the
leisurely tone. Likewise, in the second stanza, Auden euphemizes the dramatic fall of Icarus to
merely “a boy falling out of the sky.” This oversimplification tucked between the other
drudgeries of daily life effectively highlights the grave issue of universal apathy (Kellman).
Finally, the authors employed a variety of poetic devices to aid in their commentary of
human ignorance to suffering. In “The world is too much with us,” Wordsworth uses caesuras
and end-stops all throughout. The caesuras are reflective of both humankind’s obsession with
fast-paced urban life as well as the speaker’s state of mind. Commas and semicolons in the midst
of several lines suggest that the speaker is rushing to get these thoughts out such that they cannot
be formulated into proper sentences. We see this in the first two lines of the poem: “The world is
too much with us; late and soon, /Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers” (Wordsworth
1-2). After making the opening statement, the speaker jumps straight into his criticisms, which
also supports the idea that the speaker is so overwhelmed that his thoughts are somewhat
disorganized. The use of end-stops, however, produces some sense of organization to the
speaker's critique. It is as though the entire octet is a list of key points definitively supporting his
claim that the world is indeed too much for us, and he will not entertain any rebuttals. Other uses
of poetic devices include personification and metaphors. The speaker gives human-like qualities
to nature throughout the octet. He says that the sea “bares her bosom,” the wind howls, and the
flowers sleep (Wordsworth 5-7). These personifications support the idea that though the world
has lost touch with nature, the speaker’s ability to acknowledge these simplicities is proof that he
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still possesses even the slightest communion with nature. The metaphor used in line 8 of the
poem further illustrates the effects of our disconnection with nature. Wordsworth likens
humankind to musical instruments that are “out of tune” and cannot be moved by nature, the
musician.
Similar to Woodsworth’s work, in Auden’s “Musee des Beaux Arts,” caesura is a notable
poetic device used to describe human apathy in the poem. Similar to the aforementioned use of
enjambment, the merging of fragments into long, complex sentences using commas and
semicolons allows for a conversational tone and a rhythm that flows, mimicking the continuity of
life despite the suffering of others. Also, many of the breaks are followed by the word “how.”
For example, the speaker mentions, “The Old Masters: how well they understood,” in line 2, and
when referencing Bruegel’s painting, at the beginning of stanza two, says, “for instance: how
everything turns away Quite leisurely from the disaster.” Repetition of the word “how” is the
speaker's way of providing specific examples of human indifference to suffering, in a
conversational yet matter-of-factly way (Soa). Another key poetic device used in Auden’s poem
is allusion. In addition to the obvious allusion to Pieter Bruegel’s painting in the second stanza,
Auden alludes to significant events in Christianity - the virgin birth and the crucifixion. These
allusions to events of great joy and suffering being juxtaposed by frivolous activities perfectly
demonstrate the cynicism of mankind.
In summary, both William Wordsworth and W. H. Auden wrote poems that explored the
unfortunate cynicism and apathy that often accompanies the human experience. Though the
authors are from different eras, and their poetry falls in different genres, they both captured the
theme well. Wordsworth's emotional and critical assessment of the ill-effects of consumerism on
the human experience and how our relationship with nature suffers was typical of his romantic
writing style. Similarly, Auden’s conversational yet distanced approach to the way we often
become blind to others’ suffering provided an almost philosophical discussion between speaker
and reader on an age-old penchant of humankind.

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Works Cited
Auden, W.H. “Musée Des Beaux Arts by W. H. Auden.” Salem Press Encyclopedia of
Literature, 2019. Edited by Steven G. Kellman. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=119624428&site=eds-live.
Benz, Jim. “Jim Benz: WH Auden's Speaker in ‘Musée Des Beaux Arts’”. The Modern
American Poetry Site, 10 August, 2013.
https://www.modernamericanpoetry.org/criticism/jim-benz-wh-audens-speakermus%C3%A9e-des-beaux-arts
“boon, n.5.” OED Online, Oxford University Press, March, 2020,
www.oed.com/view/Entry/21486. Accessed 30 March, 2020.
Sarot Marcel. “Transformative Poetry. A Case Study of W. H. Auden’s Musée Des Beaux Arts
and General Conclusions.” Perichoresis: The Theological Journal of Emanuel
University, Vol.14 no. 2, 2016, p. 81. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1515/perc-2016-0012.
Soa, Jackson. "Musée des Beaux Arts." LitCharts.com. LitCharts LLC, 7 January 2020.
https://www.litcharts.com/poetry/w-h-auden/musee-des-beaux-arts
“sordid, adj. and n." OED Online, Oxford University Press, March 2020,
www.oed.com/view/Entry/184862. Accessed 30 March 2020.
Wordsworth, William. "The World Is Too Much With Us." LitCharts.com. Edited by Will
Callan. LitCharts LLC, 8 May, 2019. https://www.litcharts.com/poetry/williamwordsworth/the-world-is-too-much-with-us

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