With all of the sensory bombardment we experience on a day to day basis, there is little time left for us to just be one with ourselves and nature. I think that Wordsworth is trying to make the point that human beings are out of touch with the world and miss out on the true pleasures that surround us. In line 2 he says, “Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.” He seems to think that we have the potential to appease our desires and be happy without being materialistic. In line 3 Wordsworth says, “Little we see in Nature that is ours.” Our natural state is just to exist without desire and attachment to material things that fade. The author’s capitalization of “Sea” in line 5 shows the importance of nature rather than worldly things that people seem to be attached to in this day and age.

Modernism has made our lives more comfortable but also left us wanting more since gratification is fleeting. This piece can be considered timeless because the message rings true in the present day just as much as it did when it was first written. We as human beings have increasingly complicated our lives as we seem to have sacrificed peace and enlightenment with pleasure and excitement. Wordsworth desires a simpler time but it seems that the problems he speaks of have always been present. The saying, “the grass is always greener on the other side” comes to mind because people today would long for Wordsworth’s time while he would desire a time before his. Ultimately, I believe that human beings are to blame not because of the inventions and distractions that they have created, but because of their attitudes towards them. Technology has helped humans but many have been excessive with its use. As with most things, balance and moderation is key and will allow more meaningful things to enter into our lives.