Dover Beach

Matthew Arnold's "Dover beach" describe the way in which perceptions are mislead society. The use of metaphors, symbolisms, allusiveness, technical quantities, and imagery assist the speaker's thought regards between what is seen and what is real. Dover beach was written during Victorian era. Which brought civilization based on industry, value and money. This is the time which people start questioning the existence of God. The speaker observed the plight of Victorian era. And he sought an answer to the problems which he and world faced with. Arnold express the dejection of lost civilization, anticipate its future, and try to acquire its solution

The speaker begins straightway with visual and auditory imagery when describing " the sea is calm". This image implies that there is a life out there but it is smothered by darkness. And the cliff is sparkling in the moonlight. The speaker invite his companion to "come to the window" (line6) to see the night air. He says this as the unending wave come in and go out back out again. His emotion bring feeling of sorrow. The speaker says even Sophocles a great Greek philosopher of the past heard his eternal sadness. The sea is coming in and going out. He thought of its like the struggles with life constant demand. The uses of metaphor when he call the faith of all people " the faith of the sea"(21). He says the world used to be full of faith. But now the speaker no longer believes that the world is in full of faith. He hear the wave but he only feels sorrow. So he need his loves' for reassurance that everything will be all right, that he can trust her completely. However the tone underneath prevent hem to believed that. The poet is comparing the world in which we live to the perfect life we want to have. Finally the speaker says with out peace, love, and joy the world contain no goodness and uncertainty. Since we have no faith in God, we must have each other with war and darkness approaching. The theme that you must have faith in someone if not in God to help deal with the difficulties our world can create.

In "Dover Beach", Arnold uses an exquisitely calm ocean filled with tension to present a position of appearance verses reality. "Dover Beach" is about a beautifully calm sea, although when looking underneath the surface, it is a world full of hidden turbulence. Arnold starts the mood with the essence of tranquility and serenity. Dover Beach is described as, "calm tonight,"(1). The appearance of Dover Beach at this time is only of what the human senses can envision. The speakers looks beneath the surface of Dover Beach and unveils the true nature of the sea. When Arnold stops to really listen to the sea, "he only hears the sea's melancholy, long, withdrawing roar." (9). Arnold justifies the theory that things are not always what they appear to be. The world only 'seems' to be beautiful, but is 'really' a place of conflict, chaos and dangerous misunderstandings.

Imagery is the strongest supporter of the theme. A description of the sea in its states of calmness and roughness are depicted. Sight and sound help intensify other images. The poems' strongest feelings are usually expressed by their imagery, though rhythm is also used to convey meaning. Arnold uses the first stanza of the poem to create visual, auditory, and olfactory images that will allow the reader to picture the sea of which the speaker is viewing. Through the use of several poetic Figures of speech, sounds, and irony of words are also used. Line one; "The Sea is calm tonight"(1) has a gentle rhythm that can be compared to the "ebb and flow" (17) of the sea. With this description one can imagine a beautiful beach with water lapping upon the shore. The second line also gives the image of a calm sea. In the opening stanzas words such as "gleams"(4) and "glimmering"(5) are used, giving a sense of light. In contrast the ending stanzas use words such as "drear"(27), "darkling"(35), and "night"(37) to show darkness.