What were the influences taken from William Wordsworth to write poetry on materialism in the later ages? Can you also give some examples of materialism used in poetry?

Question

I was asked a question by my professor while presenting my paper. The paper referenced a poem "The Sparrow's Nest" where "Sparrow's dwelling" and "bright blue eggs were used. The question asked was, can William Wordsworth be considered as a predecessor of the later materialism seen in the later ages?

Answer 1

It's difficult to imagine Wordsworth espousing materialism. His total motion is in becoming close to and evoking the simplicity and heart of nature. In this poem the sparrow's nest is an example of how Wordsworth feels pulled to the site. He then connects his sister with how he became fully open to nature.

The only way to imagine materialism in this poem is to realize that Wordsworth felt pulled away from materialism and toward the intangible aspects of nature. The poem builds more and more strongly in each line toward this pull toward nature. If anything, Wordsworth would go in the opposite direction of materialism.