Arnold begins ‘Dover Beach’ by describing the setting in which it is taking place. It is clear from the title, although never explicitly stated in the poem, that the beach in question is Dover, on the coast of England. The sea is said to be calm; there is a beach on the water at full tide.
Where is Dover Beach located in the poem?
This poem is set at the beach in Dover, on the southeastern coast of England. Our work here is done, right? Ah, not so fast, Shmoopers. In the first stanza, we get some more detail about the scene.
What is the background of the poem Dover Beach?
Dover Beach is a ‘honeymoon’ poem. Written in 1851, shortly after Matthew Arnold’s marriage to Frances Lucy Wightman, it evokes quite literally the “sweetness and light” which Arnold famously found in the classical world, in whose image he formed his ideals of English culture.
What time does the poem Dover Beach take place?
Answer and Explanation: Matthew Arnold purposely sets “Dover Beach” at night, but not in the middle of the night, as he and his love are awake and looking out the window and enjoying the “night air”.
What is the form of the poem Dover Beach?
“Dover Beach” [text] consists of four stanzas, each containing a variable number of verses. The first stanza has 14 lines, the second 6, the third 8 and the fourth 9. As for the metrical scheme, there is no apparent rhyme scheme, but rather a free handling of the basic iambic pattern.
What is the main theme of Dover Beach?
The Waning Influence of Christian Faith
A key theme in “Dover Beach” relates to the waning influence of Christianity.
What does the title Dover Beach mean?
The sight of the beach at Dover and the sound of the pounding waves inspire the speaker’s wide-ranging thoughts. Putting the name of the place at the top of the poem is a way to underline its importance. It’s probably also worth mentioning that the cliffs of Dover are hugely symbolic for the English.
What is the irony in Dover Beach?
The irony in this poem is the main plot of the poem. A man has taken a woman to a beautiful beach in France. There they look over the cliffs at the beautiful ocean, the moon is full and bright, and the night-air is calm and peaceful. She thinks that she is going to this romantic place to be wooed by this man.
What is the central theme of the poem?
The central theme of a poem represents its controlling idea. This idea is crafted and developed throughout the poem and can be identified by assessing the poem’s rhythm, setting, tone, mood, diction and, occasionally, title.
Is Dover Beach an elegy?
Matthew Arnold’s (1822-1888) best-known poem, Dover Beach (1867) is a masterpiece of mood , both a love poem and an elegy. Though published in his 1867 volume New Poems, Dover Beach may have been composed as early as 1851, when Arnold honeymooned at Dover.
What is the setting of the first stanza in Dover Beach?
Arnold begins ‘Dover Beach’ by describing the setting in which it is taking place. It is clear from the title, although never explicitly stated in the poem, that the beach in question is Dover, on the coast of England. The sea is said to be calm; there is a beach on the water at full tide.
What is the moon symbolic for in Dover Beach?
In the poem, “Dover Beach”, the moon falls under a happy imagery. It symbolizes the calmness that will get disrupted soon. The moon denotes to the calm before the storm.
Who is the speaker of Dover Beach?
In the same year, the newlyweds visited Dover Beach twice and so it is widely assumed that the poem was written to and for Frances, that the speaker of the poem is Arnold and he is speaking to his wife.
What is the tone and mood of Dover Beach?
The tone of “Dover Beach” is predominantly melancholic and to a certain extent even tragic. The predominant mood of despair and gloom pervades throughout the poem.
What is the mood of Dover Beach poem?
Matthew Arnold’s 1867 lyric poem ”Dover Beach” predominately imparts a mood of somber, reflective melancholy. This mood is conveyed through Arnold’s use of diction.
What is Dover Beach a metaphor for?
Metaphor in Dover Beach:
In this poem faith is compared to sea. Here, high tide is compared to the unbreakable faith that people had in God and religion and the ebbing of sea waves is compared to the collapsing spiritual and religious faith.
Is Dover Beach a real place?
Dover Beach is located on Barbados’ South Coast in the parish of Christ Church, with the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, Accra Beach and Needham’s Point Lighthouse to the west, and Maxwell Beach, Welches Beach and Oistins to the east. Situated at the southern end of the popular tourist area of St.
What is the main conflict in Dover Beach?
1 Answer. The main conflict in the poem is between faith and despair. The poem marks a distinction between the time when people had faith in religion and over one another and to the present times, where the unforeseeable future leads to the loss of faith in humanity.
What is the conclusion of Dover Beach?
The conclusion of the poem provides a solution for the speaker’s maladies. He beseeches his “love” to be true to him; only in their devotion to each other will they find comfort and certainty in the “confused alarms of struggle and flight” of life.
What are the symbols in Dover Beach?
Arnold uses the sea as a symbol for the inevitably negative fate of humanity. Throughout the poem, the sea and waves gain momentum and become more and more rough and violent. The waves come and go, but they ultimately bring the eternal note of sadness.
What do pebbles symbolize in Dover Beach?
1 Answer. The pebbles symbolize the people who suffer under the pangs of sadness and loss of faith. Just like the pebbles going through the “ebb” and “flow” of tides, people too undergo misery and are subjected to external influences over which they have no control.