Summary of the poem dover beach by matthew arnold. Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold: Loss of True Christian Faith [SUMMARY] 2022-12-31

Summary of the poem dover beach by matthew arnold Rating: 5,2/10 212 reviews

Dover Beach is a poem by Matthew Arnold, written in 1851. It is a poignant and melancholic meditation on the decline of faith and the loss of spiritual connection in the modern world.

The poem begins with a description of the Dover beach at night, with the sea and the sky merging together in an endless expanse. The speaker observes the ebb and flow of the tide, and reflects on the changing nature of life and the passage of time.

The speaker then reflects on the decline of faith in the modern world, and the loss of spiritual connection that has resulted. He compares the world to a "sea of faith," which has now retreated, leaving only a "desolate shore." The speaker laments the loss of spiritual guidance and connection, and the feeling of isolation that has resulted.

The poem ends with a call to love, as the only source of solace and connection in a world that has become increasingly secular and disconnected. The speaker urges his listeners to hold onto love, and to find comfort in each other, in the face of the bleak and lonely world that surrounds them.

Overall, Dover Beach is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that explores the theme of the loss of faith and spiritual connection in the modern world. It is a poignant reflection on the changing nature of life and the importance of love in a world that can often seem cold and disconnected.

Dover Beach Summary by Matthew Arnold: 2022

summary of the poem dover beach by matthew arnold

It is no accident that the sight inspiring such reflection is that of untouched nature, almost entirely absent from any human involvement. The rhythmic sound of pebbles mingles with that of the poem. Dover Beach is situated where one can see the English Channel and the North Sea meet: the Strait of Dover. Arnold through 'Dover Beach' describes the effects of industrialization of the 19th century England. They see the lights on the coast of France just twenty miles away, and the sea is quiet and calm.

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Matthew Arnold "Dover Beach"

summary of the poem dover beach by matthew arnold

Only, from the long line of spray Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land, Listen! Instead, he speaks of the "Sea of Faith" without linking it to any deity or heaven. The poet has effectively raised existential and moral issues through his poem. How do the lines selected help prove the main idea? Rhetorical Devices used in the Poem Dover Beach Alliteration: to-night, tide: full, fair; gleams, gone; coast, cliff: long line: which the waves: folds, furled. The speaker then looks across the English Channel to the French coast that is only twenty miles away. The speaker himself is deeply affected by the frightening waves of the sea and human fate.


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Matthew Arnold: Poems “Dover Beach” (1867) Summary and Analysis

summary of the poem dover beach by matthew arnold

The phrase "long line of spray", creates a transition to the poem introducing a light feeling of tension and anger. The speaker in the poem senses this change almost subconsciously, seeing and hearing it in the sea that the speaker is looking out upon. The passing of faith causes the minds to be isolated in the border between belief and disbelief. Stanza 3- The faith in the religion that, owing to advancement in science and materialism, was rapidly losing its significance, is compared to a sea. Critical Analysis of Dover Beach In 1867 Arnold wrote his most famous poem 'Dover Beach'. In the second stanza the poet effectively uses a metaphor where the ebb and flow of human misery is compared to the tides of the sea. At this moment, the bay also seems calm.

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Matthew Arnold’s Dover Beach: Summary & Analysis

summary of the poem dover beach by matthew arnold

Although the poem starts with a beautiful image of a calm sea, it evokes the eternal suffering of human beings. The rhyming scheme of the first stanza is ABACDBDCEFCGFG. The speaker observes moonlight which produces a sense of desolation, meditation, and pain. This inconsistent meter shows the mental state of the speaker that he is disturbed and worried. The final image of the two lovers in the last stanza shows that the two lovers are united by their bond and standing against the distress of the world.

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Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold: Summary and Analysis

summary of the poem dover beach by matthew arnold

There is no real joy, love, peace, and certitude. If no, why do you think she chooses not to? The melancholy is expressed through phrases like the "eternal note of sadness", "human misery" and the imagery of the endless motion of the waves. Further on, the speaker reflects on Sophocles—an ancient Greek playwright—and his thoughts on human misery. In the sweetness of the night air, the narrator implores his lover to bear witness to the sound of the shore. The poem is an overall metaphor of the sea representing Faith and Religion. For example, vanishes of light, which represent the diminishing of the English people, and also the people around the world.

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Dover Beach Matthew Arnold Poems Summary & Analysis

summary of the poem dover beach by matthew arnold

At first, the lights on the French coast are gleaming but they go off then. The poem is written in free verse with no particular meter or rhyme scheme although some of the words do rhyme. Throughout the whole poem, Arnold uses a metaphor to describe his views and opinions. In the final stanza, the speaker directly addresses his beloved who sits next to him, asking that they always be true to one another and to the world that is laid out before them. They are engaged in commerce. However, it hints to the idea that when faith is lost, there is no divine delight to clothe us.

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Summary of Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold

summary of the poem dover beach by matthew arnold

These retreating waves are leaving the world unprotected. This poem is made up of four stanzas containing different number of lines. Tides are coming and going from the shore and the speaker also sees the lights on the French coast. It is the commitment and faithfulness between the two lovers that provide the only possible break from the havoc and torture of the world. This means that there are five beats in each line, and each beat is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. It started to consider man as an opportunistic and successful animal. Arnold describes the difference between the appearance and reality of the Victorian world.

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Dover Beach Summary

summary of the poem dover beach by matthew arnold

The speaker states that the world before them seems like a beautiful and a new dream which is full of joy. Make sure you include the title and the author's name with your images. Behind even the appearance of faith is the new order, and he hopes that they might use this moment to keep them together despite such uncertainty. The strait refers to the Strait of Dover between the English Channel and the North sea. The speaker talks about how the tide is coming in and taking all of the pebbles with it. The moment is refreshing and delightful.

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Dover Beach Summary And Analysis By Matthew Arnold • English Summary

summary of the poem dover beach by matthew arnold

People are involved in a never-ending battle. The antithesis between the whitened landscape in the first verse and the increasing darkness of the fourth suggests there is inevitable sadness of the world. Sophocles increases the sense of melancholy of the poem and the speaker. He requests her to come to the window side and enjoy the pleasant air of the night. In the third stanza, the poet says that there was a time when the sea of religious religion lifted and moved with nice power. It also hints at the idea that when faith is lost, there is no divine delight to protect us. This darkling plain is a reference to the Book of Genesis, where it is said that God created the world and saw that it was good, but then humanity fell into sin and brought darkness and suffering into the world.

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