Dover Beach

Dover Beach
Dover Beach Essay
In the symbolic poem "Dover Beach" written by Matthew Arnold the main idea is that of change. The poet uses language features and techniques such
as assonance, extended metaphor and adjectives as well as using symbolism. The effect of this is to decorate the poem and to enhance the way the
main idea of science overthrowing religion is being shown.
The poet, Matthew Arnold, uses descriptive language, language techniques and symbolism to dramatically enhance the poem, titled 'Dover Beach'. He
uses adjectives and punctuation such as Caesura for maximum effect. In the poem the "calm" and "full" sea represents science, trying to overthrow the
flickering lights on top of the vast and mighty "English cliff" and the...show more content...
The "turbid ebb and flow" are two adjectives that show us that the tide is moving all the murky, unclear water around and this is referring to the sea.
Matthew Arnold then goes on to compare us to Sophocles as this phrase of the poem shows "we find also" which directly links back to the extended
metaphor located in this stanza. This is a direct allusion between these two eras of Sophocles and Arnold. In the final stanza the poet pleads with us to
see that there is "nor love, nor light, nor help, nor peace" as "ignorant armies clash by night". This effect of listing shows human impurities such as
greed for power and wealth. Arnold desperately wants the world to unite under religion and create a better community. This is genuinely showing the
theme of change. In conclusion, Matthew Arnold has successfully shown how religion is fading and science more dominant with every passing day.
Arnold uses symbolism like the sea and the cliffs, language techniques like assonance, alliteration, metaphor, allusion and numerous adjectives to do
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Critical Appreciation Of Dover Beach
Eternal Note of Elegy A sensitive mind can often feel the essence of The Times more deeply than its peers. Matthew Arnold is an obvious example.
When British empire was beguiled by the prosperity of the surface of Victoria Time, as a poet and scholar, he wrote in his top–ranking poem "Dover
beach" sang desperate elegy for the crisis in the whole western civilization. In nature, "Dover beach" is a masterpiece recalling with emotion. It starts
with a peaceful picture, and ends with a feeling of reasoning, using a sense of the word. But it is different from traditional feeling poetry, but it uses
some dramatic treatment techniques, in the way of the poet's monologue. The dramatic scene in the poem is the night of the moon, in a house on
Dover's seashore, where people sail across the English Channel to French ports. The poem started when the tide was full, and the sea was calm, and
everything seemed so quiet under the moonlight. Such good night is a perfect time for the lovers to date. So, the poet could not help but telling his
lover, "Come to the window, how sweet the evening breeze is!" But then came the waves at low tide from the gravel. It gently and repeatedly chanted
the beat, recalled the poet endless thoughts, turning the scenery into lyrical poetry, giving the expression with the development of the poet's thoughts.
The poet begins by connecting the changes of the tides to the fate of the people, because the tides, though rising and falling, are always the symbol of

Dover Beach Essay
In the poem "Dover Beach",witten in 1867 Matthew Arnold creates the mood of the poem through the usage of different types of imagery.
He uses a dramatic plot in the form of a soliloquy. Arnold also uses descriptive adjectives, similes and metaphors to create the mood. Through the use
of these literary elements, Arnold portrays the man standing before the window pondering the sound of the pebbles tossing in the waves as
representation of human suffering. The man arrives at the vision of humanity being helpless against nature. Arnold creates the mood by suggesting
mental pictures, actions, sights and sounds the man sees. Some examples are "folds of a bright girdle furled", "lie before us like a
land of dreams"...show more content...
In the second part of the poem, Arnold uses the same method of writing, however he speaks of human history to further support the mood of the
"Sea of Faith" and it's "eternal sadness". Arnold writes of Sophocles hearing the "eternal sadness" on "the
Aegean" with it's "turbid ebb and flow". This appeals to the sense of hearing and causes the reader to almost hear powerful waves
crashing to the land below. Sophocles saw the waves as sounds of "human misery". Arnold is portraying the parallel thought between the
speaker's feelings and Sophocles same sadness over the changing of the land. The metaphor of the tides and the sea is suggested by the sounds and
view of the speaker's window, but Arnold uses Sophocles as another example of nature's strength over the entire world. Arnold uses this to illustrate the
speaker's despair and helplessness over his situation. Arnold uses this writing to exhibit the conflict between the land and the sea, and how more than
just land suffers from the destruction. Arnold wants to show how deep the speaker's emotions run for his home.
In the third stanza, Arnold uses imagery and metaphors to depict the setting, which further set the mood of the poem. The first three lines portray and
insinuate prospects of a visual image. The last five lines appeal to the auditory sense in the form of despair. In the first part of the stanza, Arnold
characterizes the sea as divine.

Dover Beach Analysis
Dover Beach Analysis
Matthew Arnold portrays an ambience of infinite sadness around his character whom is in an aquatic scenery in the poem "Dover Beach" through
the use of simile, imagery and allusion. The first line of the poem reads "The sea is calm tonight" and this represents that he is indeed by the sea, and
also the title of the poem gives it away. The next line gives the reader more to imagine about the setting. The moon is out and the tides are full means
that this is taking place at night. "Upon the straits; of the French coast the light / Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of the England stand,". The body of
water that the character is adjacent to is the English channel. The English channel is the body of water between France and England and the
southeastern coast of England is where our character stands. From this location in Dover, England he can see the French light which is the closest
point where you can get to France without crossing the English channel. The character can hear the tides washing up and down the beach as he
stares off into the distance. He describes it as a "the grating roar" as the shells and other oceanic debris are pulled in and out of the coastal sands by
the water. "The eternal note of sadness" ends the first stanza which gives it a darker feeling compared to the beginning being calm and tranquil. The
speaker is being moved by the music of the setting which is a taste godlessness, emptiness , or loneliness. In the next stanza Our speaker

Dover Beach, An Analysis Essay
Dover Beach is located in England, on the eastern shores near France. It is also the setting, and title of a poem written by a well educated man
named Matthew Arnold, who is well known as the first modern critic of poetry. According to an article in The Literary Encyclopedia, Arnold was a
very spiritual person, but claimed poetry prevailed over philosophy, science, and religion, due to the principle that those things are based on facts,
which can be proven wrong over time. The article also said he believed poetry is an expression based on ideas, and ideas, which are faith, cannot be
proven wrong. He was quoted by The Literary Encyclopedia as saying that poetry is "the breath and finer spirit of knowledge."
In 1867 Arnold wrote his...show more content...
Listen! You hear the grating roar." (6, 9) He wanted her to see and hear the calmness and beauty of the water at that moment. He then goes on to
suggest a continuous personal battle going on in his life, probably dealing with love, which leads him to a feeling and tone of sorrow, "of pebbles
which the waves draw back, and fling, at their return, up the high strand, begin, and cease, and then again begin... and bring the eternal note of
sadness." (10–12) I think Arnold is using the waves as an allusion, representing the joy and pain of relationships which sometimes leads to
unhappiness, but can also lead to pure bliss. Arnold speaks of this when he says, "into his mind the turbid ebb and flow of misery." (17–18)
In lines eighteen and nineteen the author says, "of human misery; we find also in the sound a thought." Here he is associating human suffering and
misery to the sea. Like the sea, things may appear perfect and wonderful from the outside, but can be completely flawed on the inside. At this point in
the poem Arnold is speaking of the unkind reality of the world, "the sea of faith was once, too, at the full, and round the earth's shore." (21–22) He
uses the metaphor, "sea of faith" for time; a time when religion and faith were untouched by modern ideals and revolutions. I think Arnold is indicating
a comparison between the tide of the sea, which represents

What Is The Theme Of Dover Beach Poem
The beauty of nature is a distraction from the misery of being alive. In his poem "Dover Beach," Matthew Arnold successfully captures the beauty of
the world and manages to turn it into the idea of life being full of despair. Writing during the Victorian period, a time of where people questioned
religion due to Darwin's theory of evolution, Arnold condemns the world for its absence of faith that caused this misery. Suffering is seen in everything
as it even lurks under the beauty of things. Arnold exemplifies the human misery through his use of imagery, symbolism, and metaphor to convey that
faith is the only thing powerful enough to keep human life joyful. Beginning the poem with simple imagery, Arnold elucidates the true dark reality that
...show more content...
The "ebb and flow" of the tide is a metaphor for how sadnesses rises and falls in and out of human life (Arnold 17). With no hope being left in religion,
Arnold mentions one last hope for humanity to put their faith into. In his last stanza, he reveals that "love" can bring back the joy in life (Arnold 29).
Specifically he refers to it as being "true to one another" and putting their faith into that other person (Arnold 29–30). Arnold compares to love as being
"a land of dreams" (31). Dreams are seen as happy and being "so beautiful" (Arnold 32); consequently, just like dreams, they don't always come true.
Arnold brings his audience back to reality by professing how "we are here as on a darkling plain" (35). By reflecting the darkness of reality, Arnold
illuminates how love still might not be enough to go through these "confused alarms of struggle" (36). In conclusion, throughout "Dover Beach,"
Matthew Arnold uses imagery, symbolism, and metaphor to elucidate how life is grim and suffering is hidden in everything. Humans now live an
endless cycle masking their misery in other worldly things that only seem to make them happy. With the Victorian period's doubt in faith, Arnold
seems to be suggesting how faith once played a huge role in human happiness. He sees within his society that not everyone is happy and is filled with
despair. Human life is not meant to be all happy and that sadness is the eternal aspect of living in this

Dover Beach Summary
Matthew Arnold, born December 24, 1822 and died April 15, 1888, wrote the poem "Dover Beach. "Matthew Arnold was an English Victorian
Poet, a social critic, who wrote "Dover Beach" in 1851. The poem was found on the Victorian Web, in which "Dover Beach" is explained to be a lyric
poem. The poem's theme is how people fail to realize how terrible our world is and how a little amount of faith is left in it. During the time the
poem was written, many scientific discoveries were occurring, and people's religions were being placed on the back burner. Many people think our
world is a happy and joyful place to be, but in reality, the world is a dark and depressing.
In "Dover Beach", the theme is the actual truth about our world, which is how people fail to realize how terrible our world is and how little faith is
left in it. Our world may appear to be a wonderful place to be, but in reality, it is not. The speaker of the poem is trying to sooth their pain from the
world with love. The poet is connecting the emotions the speaker is feeling or has felt, through the ways of the sea. The poem starts out with a calm
and quiet scene with the speaker looking out the window towards the sea. The poem goes through stanza by stanza connecting the emotions he has felt
towards the sea. The poem ends with the unfortunate couple in love that is having to live in this terrifying and dark world.
The first stanza of "Dover Beach" is setting the scene of the poem, "The sea is calm to–night the tide

Critical Analysis: An Analysis Of Dover Beach
1.Introduction:
The poem I will be writing about is 'Dover Beach' by the 19th century poet Matthew Arnold. The poem touches off contemporary social issues within
the 1800's. The work brings the reader into a new time: a place where religious and spiritual upheaval is prevalent. The speaker in this poem expresses
their contempt for progression and on the contrary the technicality of the poem itself strays away from a traditionalistic or conservative form and
structure. That intriguing aspect of the poem drove me to write about it and further delving into the complexities. Its essential nature is a contradiction
and I wanted to explore that further.
2.In this part I shall be discussing the metre, rhyme and rhythmic pattern of 'Dover Beach'...show more content...
The stanzas which make up 'Dover Beach' do not shy away from the general attitude the poem emits. By saying this I mean that the poem is not a
sonnet or a couplet. It has no fixed arrangement that perpetuates a certain stanza terminology. It is free in the best way. There are 4 stanzas with a
variable amount of lines in each. I would be inclined to say that stanza 1 is full of imagistic contrast. The beginning sets a tranquilizing ambiance
when describing the scenery 'the sea is calm tonight'. This has a sedative impact on the reader. However, this calming opening is contrasted with
the ending. The opening could be linked to a mindful state of being and the end has a distressing and melancholic rhetoric as the poet states the
'eternal note of sadness'. The peaceful and beautiful imagery that we are endowed with at the opening of stanza 1 has been vanished by the
confused, distressed and vulgar twist that the poem has taken. The poet describes the world as a 'darkling pain' which is in stark contrast with the
still ocean. The 'ignorant armies clash by night' and there is nothing beautiful about this dying place. The first stanza consists of 14 lines, the 2nd of
6, the 3rd of 8 and the 4th of 9. This is a poem which can be described as broken sonnets as the first two sections consist of 14 lines. The thoughts
which are encapsulated by each stanza are rushed, emotional and lacking in any sense of form or

Dover Beach was written by the poet Matthew Arnold. The poem consists of four stanzas and does not have a consistent rhythm which is why it's
considered a free verse. Around the time this poem was written, Darwin's scientific discoveries started to influence on people's beliefs about humanity
and evolution. At this point in history, the Crisis ofFaith, people were starting to doubt on God and the origin of nature. Besides Darwin, scientists like
Charles Lyell also made findings that contributed to the issue. Arnold seems to write this poem surrounding the uncertainty the world was going
through. He started his poem with a very calm and serene tone but, towards the end, it goes from peaceful to melancholic. In this poem, Arnold makes
the use of elaborate and descriptive language to communicate to his readers his point of view. The last two stanzas ofDover Beach include several
images and symbols that help portray the sadness and loss of hope Matthew Arnold, and civilization, were experiencing during this period. Matthew
Arnold leaned towards the dominance of images to portray the internal sadness he experienced since the beginning of this poem. The third stanza starts
with "The Sea of Faith" (L. 21) which, at this point in the poem, works as a metaphor regarding the big "sea" of religious beliefs in society. The
image of this sea starts calm but, at the third stanza, it becomes into something bigger. This can be connected to how Arnold wrote the word 'sea' with
capital S,

Dover Beach Poem Analysis
Upon reading Matthew Arnold's poem, "Dover Beach", I was greeted with a fleeting sense of tranquility and a lingering emotion of melancholy.
Found in his carefully crafted words, Arnold gives an accurate representation of the beliefs held during the era of Realism by using descriptive
imagery. His use of imagery is the primary aspect of the work that most interested me. For instance, in the first stanza, the narrator gives the reader the
setting of "Dover Beach". He states, "Upon the straits; on the French coast the light/ Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand, / Glimmering and
vast, out in the tranquil bay" (Arnold 2017). This description allows the reader to understand that the author can see the cities of France and England as
...show more content...
They lack joy, a source of peace, and are in a constant inner struggle of life. I feel this is a beautifully written piece that accurately evokes feeling
out of its readers and allows them to grapple with ideas that aren't directly stated, but strongly implied. The style of this piece allowed me to analyze
a work that is categorized as realist literature and compare it to what I know about such works. I thoroughly enjoyed this poem by Matthew Arnold
because it allowed me to test my understanding of realism by analysis as well as the intense feeling of melancholy created by effective imagery.
"Dover Beach" was written by English writer, Matthew Arnold between 1847 and 1853 and the poem was published in 1867 (Johnston, E. T. 2016).
During the construction of this lyric poem, England was experiencing the Revolutions of 1848. These revolutions were composed of several upheavals
that emphasized the distinct differences between social classes, specifically those between the wealthy and the working classes. This was not an event
to just occur randomly, but was encouraged by specific events that led up to its outburst: liberalism, nationalism, and industrialization (Bahr–Evola, A.
J. 2016). These revolutions challenged the standards and customs of Europe and sought to establish their own liberal institutions. As the revolutions
continued throughout Europe, division soon occurred between those who claimed themselves to be liberal leaders

Dover Beach Figurative Language
At the beginning of the poem, the teacher feels preposterous with one simple and naГЇve question from his student. While teaching his student about
"Dover Beach" (1), the young freshman girl questions whether the Sea of Faith is palpable. The question either naГЇve or foolish when what they are
discussing about is just a "figurative language" (6). She wonders if it an actual physic sea that people can see on the maps. Along with the
questioning tone and the words "real" repeat three times in line 8,9, and 12 shows that she doesn't understand the lesson or the difference between
figurative language and literally. It is absurd for the teacher that she has the nerve to ask such and simple yet reckless question. In addition, he feels so
juvenile when their conversation is about a thing which everybody knows is real, yet it is not concrete real....show more content...
First, he begins with the plain symbolic idiom and sarcastically says that his students are at "Sea of Ignorance/ In which [they] are drowning" (22,23).
By using a sarcastic tone, it's easily to see that the teacher thinks his student is ignorance and he has to save him from the "Dark Age" (19). The
teacher continues to use figurative language and symbols such as "Ship of Fools" (26) from Plato's, "Fountain of Youth" (28) and "River of
Forgetfulness" (29) in the mythical Greek rivers to demonstrate about things that people know and what it really means. At this point, he thinks that
while humankind grows older, the youth grows into being more

Matthew Arnold's Dover Beach Essay
Matthew Arnold's Dover Beach
Great works of poetry convey a feeling, mood, or message that affects the reader on an emotional, personal level. Great works of poetry can do that ––
translate a literal story/theme –– but masterpieces, like Matthew Arnold's "Dover Beach," are a double–edged sword, containing a second, figurative
theme –– a message between the lines and underneath the obvious. Not only is Matthew Arnold's 1867 poem, "Dover Beach," a unique and beautiful
literary work describing a lover's longing for trust and faith, but on a figurative plain it also stands as a metaphor for that constant evil called war.
Literally, "Dover Beach" flows through four irregularly rhymed sections that increase in emotional impact...show more content...
Metaphorically, Matthew Arnold's "Dover Beach" is profoundly anti–war and philosophical in its attempt to link war with nature. In this view, it does
not matter where the narrator or speaker stands during his reflections. This voice comes from a philosopher, much like "Sophocles long ago," who
stands not in a particular place, but a state of mind. The window is not a wooden frame of glass, but rather a window into the past, seeing the
constant force that war has been. Declaring: "Listen! You hear the grating roar/ Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling," the waves can be
perceived as a metaphor for the bloody and destructive act of war, that powerful force that treats men as pebbles, flinging and crashing them against the
rocks of the world. "Begin, and cease, and then again begin,/ With tremulous

Personification In Dover Beach
The poem Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold does an effective job of expressing how he views the world and helps his audience relate to his views
of an endless lonely and sad cycle the world is now undergoing. In my interpretation the poem is about the author losing faith in the world. The
author uses a lot of different literary devices, but I feel that his use of personification affected the story in a way that enhance his message. I think that
the sea signifies many things, which I feel changes from stanza to stanza. The sea is given many emotions to be, such as sadness and happiness, which
varies from each stanza. He starts off by saying "The sea is calm tonight" I think that this signifies himself, and how when he looks at...show more
content...
Then the author proceeds to slightly alter the tone of the poem by suddenly adding personal emotions, such as love, the lines "Ah, love, let us be
true To one another! for the world, which seems" seems to say that he believes in love, yet he can only dream about it. The next few lines "To lie
before us like a land of dreams, So various, so beautiful, so new, Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for
pain;" mentions the things that he dreams of, yet can't receive. This final line just shows how he has lost his faith in this world and realizes that there
is no peace that will ever occur in this endless cycle.
This poem connects to me when I experience sadness, uncertainty, or failure. Although the sadness that the poem talks about is on a scale much greater
than my experience, I can relate to some of the feelings that he talks about. When I'm experiencing either sadness, uncertainty, or failure, I often feel
that I am alone, and everything has left me. I have this lingering feeling that hides in the pit of my stomach and bothers me for days to come. When
Matthew Arnold wrote this piece, it was during the time of the British Empire conquering other colonies, and he also felt odd and that change was
happening in a faster pace than he hoped for. The feeling of uncertainty has also made him feel sad, much like myself, when I step

Simile And Metaphors In Dover Beach
ABSTRACT A lyrical poem, the title leads us into knowing where the story is starting at but eventually lands in other worlds, times and spaces. I will
say the beginning of the poem sets the tone of peace, quietness and reflection but then ends with a completely different feeling. This low–spirited poem
uses human feelings and projects them onto inanimate objects. Many simile and metaphors are used, the sea being one of the main focal points. The
slow rhythm in the sound of the sea is meshed with the rhythm of the poem. The speaker addresses his lover throughout reflecting on the calming sea
and peaceful surroundings. Underneath his hidden calmness he indicates that something more troubling is going on. The speaker contemplates with his
lover if there is hope for humanity. He feels that they are being failed by religion but implies that love will console them and their well–being in the
future. INTRODUCTION The process of analyzing or developing an idea is done through important techniques which contribute to the overall poem.
Repetition, simile and metaphors are all contributors. In Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold I will discuss those aesthetic elements and other.
Symbolism will represent ideas that I as the reader will try and decipher. Although we can not hear the tone, from the words used readers have to
determine what it is. Words will tell us if the story is serious or humorous. Additionally I'll go over the theme and how the aesthetic elements of the
poem are used

Dover Beach Figurative Language Essay
How complex can the English language get? No matter what the material is, the author will use methods of figurative language to give their writing
depth and meaning beyond the writing's literal meaning. Especially in reference to poems, meaning can be purpose can be majorly warped through
metaphors, similes, allegories, and symbols. Matthew Arnold's Dover Beach uses great examples of symbolism and allegory to change the
importance of his descriptions. "The Sea of Faith. Begin, and cease, and then again begin. With tremulous cadence slow and bring the eternal note of
sadness in.". The "Sea of Faith" is a more obvious symbol that Arnold uses to express his sense of faith and defenselessness towards the unexplainable
inner workings of life. However

Dover Beach Essay
Arnold uses a range of technical means in order to express a shift in mood and sentiment within the poem 'Dover Beach'.
Rhythm is used as a significant device, Arnold uses an irregular rhythm alongside enjambment to create a discursive style. Arnold switches between
using iamb's and trochee's, this technique highlights the transformation in tone, as by moving from an unstressed syllable to a stressed syllable the
fluidity of the line is broken, this is potentially used to convey the journey from a serene message to one more sinister . In this way, Arnold introduces
elements of incongruity in the rhythm, which are then echoed in a move from the calm "tranquil bay" to a darker more melancholy feel, as illustrated
in the harsh sounds "grating" and "Swept". Another effect is to conjure an image of the sea in the readers mind, Arnold highlights this most
significantly in line 12, with the phrase "Begin, and cease, and then again begin". The iambic pentameter conveys the theme of the tide moving in and
out, which becomes a recurring motif throughout the poem in its entirety to establish the sentiment towards nostalgia. Likewise, this links closely to
Arnold's use of sea imagery, the first line at first appears factual and gives the reader the notion that the rest of the poem will be implicitly similar.
Arnold uses the statement "The sea is calm tonight" to implant a vivid image into the reader's head, it could be suggested this first line sets up a happy
tone which is then

Essay on the Victorian View of Dover Beach
The Victorian View of Dover Beach
As the narrator of Matthew Arnold's "Dover Beach" looks out his window, he sees a beautiful world of nature: the sea and the cliffs under the glow of
the moon. Describing this scene to his lover, he invites her to "[c]ome to the window" so that she might see it too (6). However, it is not just a
beautiful beach that the speaker wishes his lover to see. Rather, he wants her to see Dover Beach as an ironic image that is a representation of his whole
world. Likewise Matthew Arnold wants his reader to recognize the speaker and scene as a portrait of Arnold's own world and feelings.
What Arnold is writing about is not a poetic fiction: it is a reflection of the changes he sees in his world due...show more content...
Such external change is disorienting and distressing, for it undermines any appearance of natural, social, or moral order. Material change follows
change but "human misery" endures (18). In this paradox, Arnold expresses a deep and abiding sense of despair over the human predicament. It
seems as if everything great in the past is gone, and the great ages "of the future have not yet come" (Dahl 37).
The distress of Arnold's persona is only intensified by his recognition that others have felt the same sadness that he feels: "Sophocles long ago / Heard
it" (15–16). The insight and sympathy of poets and artists like Sophocles has no progressive impact upon history: human misery continues. If anything,
such artistic insight as Sophocles' seems to undermine the redeeming ideals of spiritual faith.
As the focus of the narrator shifts from Sophocles to the traditions of religion, Arnold ironically suggests that those who recognize the persistent
suffering of humanity must also acknowledge the decline of traditional religious faith. Among Victorians there was a growing awareness that while a
"City of God was certainly known and accepted," it was "ignored by most men" (Dahl 36). As he contemplates Dover Beach, Arnold's narrator hears
only the "melancholy, long, withdrawing roar" of the Sea of Faith (25). Throughout his career, Arnold responded to this sense of spiritual decline by
seeking a kind of salvation and rebirth "in social

Dover Beach Essay
We humans are a crafty. Since the dawn of time immemorial, we have labored to make sense of an existence that, by and large, defies comprehension.
There have been some successes; science, philosophy, love, and religion have all been forged and wielded in this struggle to offer the occasional light
of truth. The problem is that they all deal in the definitive, but in a world without absolutes there might only be one human convention capable of truly
answering the biggest questions of life: poetry. All teasing aside, the poem is indeed best suited to deal with matters of the unknown because poems are
intrinsically left open to interpretation. In the simplest terms, Matthew Arnold's 18th century poem "Dover Beach" is about the unknown....show more
content...
(ll. 3–5)
With "Come to the window, sweet is the night air! / Only, from the long line of spray" we not only smell and taste the incoming tide, but we even feel
it on our skin (ll. 6–7). Heretofore the poem is rooted in concrete, tangible descriptions of the visible world that will contrast with the more nebulous
remainder of the poem. Essentially, the first eight lines are the firmament that the rest of the poem stands on. Both structurally and metaphorically,
while it questions the concept of questions, it is what's known. So far our senses have guided us peacefully, but then one of them betrays us: "Listen!
You hear the grating roar" (ll. 8), and with that you also casts we the reader as the one on the beach. Speaking of the waves disturbing the pebbles, the
word grating marks the change from serenity to conflict. The last two lines of the first stanza tell us definitively that the waves are indeed a source of
strife – "With tremulous cadence slow, and bring / The eternal note of sadness in" (ll. 13–14). At this point in the poem, the reader should be aware that
the waves are more than just waves, though what they represent is not yet clear. In the second stanza, Arnold's poem makes a radical shift through
time and begins to give us an idea of why the waves bring sadness. Suddenly we are in ancient Greece with "Sophocles long ago..." who listened to
the waves and they brought "Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow / Of human misery"

Conflicting Imagery in Matthew Arnold's Dover Beach
In the poem Dover Beach, the poet uses conflicting imagery to give
meaning to the poem. The differences in the way that the poet sees the
relationship between the beach and the sea and the way that most people
would see it become more pronounced as the poem develops. He also uses the
change in attitude from the first stanza to the last to emphasize his
message.
The poem starts with the normal image one would expect of a beach
and a peaceful moonlit night, but quickly moves to an entirely different
point of view. By the end of the first stanza the sea is no longer peaceful
and calm, but crashing with a 'grating roar'. The poet has...show more content...
The reference
is to Sophocles tragic plays and the suffering that necessarily accompanied
them. This image becomes powerful as the reader realizes that the poet is

saying that he can hear the same message on Dover Beach that Sophocles
heard so many years ago by the Aegean. He is basically saying that the
nature of life doesn't change. There was suffering in the times of the
Greeks, suffering in his time, and there will be suffering after he is gone.
The poet finishes the poem of with several images that lend even
more power to the poem. At the end of the poem the sea has become the exact
opposite of what it was at the beginning. No longer calm, the image the
poet uses to describe it is that of two armies senselessly fighting. There
is no point to their struggle, just as there is no point to the crashing of
the sea. It just is. And that is the point that the poet really seems to be
trying to make; that no matter what happens misery and suffering will
always be present in the world and there is no explanation for them. Just
as the sea will continue to crash on the beaches of the world for eternity.
In Dover Beach, the poet successfully uses contrasting imagery to
bring out the meaning of the poem. The change in attitude toward the sea
and beach that takes place between the beginning of the

Dover Beach

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