1 Answer. The poem, “Dover Beach” is a lament on the loss of faith in religion and in mankind. The people have stopped seeking comfort in church and in God and are skeptic to believe in each other.
Why does the poet lament in Dover Beach?
Summary. “Dover Beach” by Matthew Arnold is a dramatic monologue lamenting the loss of true Christian faith in England during the mid-1800s as science captured the minds of the public. The poet’s speaker, considered to be Matthew Arnold himself, begins by describing a calm and quiet sea out in the English Channel.
How Dover Beach laments the loss of religious faith?
He uses the sea as a metaphor for religious beliefs in the world. But now he only hears ‘ it’s melancholy, long, withdrawing roar’ that is ‘ drear’ and ‘ retreating, to breath’. He means that religion, basically Christianity, is fading away and he is only hearing its gloomy withdrawing sound.
Why is the speaker lamenting the sea of faith in Dover Beach?
“Dover Beach” is the most celebrated poem by Matthew Arnold, a writer and educator of the Victorian era. The poem expresses a crisis of faith, with the speaker acknowledging the diminished standing of Christianity, which the speaker sees as being unable to withstand the rising tide of scientific discovery.
Is Dover Beach a sad poem?
“Dover Beach” is a melancholic poem. Matthew Arnold uses the means of ‘pathetic fallacy’, when he attributes or rather projects the human feeling of sadness onto an inanimate object like the sea. At the same time he creates a feeling of ‘pathos’.
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 type of poem is Dover Beach?
“Dover Beach” is a lyric poem by the English poet Matthew Arnold. It was first published in 1867 in the collection New Poems; however, surviving notes indicate its composition may have begun as early as 1849. The most likely date is 1851.
How is Dover Beach a lament for humanity in the face of modernity and progress?
1 Answer. The poem, “Dover Beach” is a lament on the loss of faith in religion and in mankind. The people have stopped seeking comfort in church and in God and are skeptic to believe in each other. Scientific advancements and research have shaken the core of faith amongst people.
How does the poem Dover Beach imply that in the contemporary spiritual?
Answer : In most of the lines of the poem “Dover Beach”, Matthew Arnold explored the theme of loss of faith in God and religion, but in the last stanza, Arnold has depicted the comforting power of love. Thus it can be said that “ Dover Beach”, on one level can certainly be called a love poem.
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.
How is the theme of loss of faith in God and religious shown in Dover Beach?
This melancholic tone is furthered in the poem as Arnold talks about the “long withdrawing roar” of spiritual and religious faith. The eroding white cliffs are symbolic of the erosion of human faith and values. Faith is compared to the vast sea, which once had a full tide but now is retreating.
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.
In what sense Dover Beach is an elegy?
DOVER BEACH AS ELEGY: The main characteristics of an elegy is to lament over the loss of some person or something in us. In Dover Beach, the poet laments the loss of faith. The elegiac note is clearly discernible when the rhythmic sound of the waves make the poet sad.
What is the message in the end of the poem Dover Beach?
1 Answer. The social message of the poem which the poet aims to convey is that love can regain all faith. It is through love, no matter how momentary it is, that people can find trust and believe in each other and in religion. The ignorant armies fighting without a cause are not going to find a solution but love can.
Why is the speaker sad in Dover Beach?
The speaker in “Dover Beach” is lamenting the loss of religious faith during a time of progress in science and industry. The sea is calm tonight. Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand, Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.
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 the significance of the title Dover Beach?
Arnold’s poem is titled “Dover Beach” because the setting is very important for the trajectory of the poem. The poem is based on Matthew Arnold’s honeymoon trip to Dover, and his imagined speaker is indeed addressing a lover as they stand at a window near the seashore.
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.
What is the best tone of the poem Dover Beach?
Answer: The tone of Diver beach is calm and melancholy.
Is Dover Beach a pessimistic poem?
Dover Beach-CC-10-PC
The poem concludes with a pessimistic outlook on the state of the planet. As the people are suffering around the world on “a darkling plain,” confused and fighting for things they don’t understand, real suffering is going on and faith is slipping away.
Is the poem Dover Beach relevant in our times?
1 Answer. Yes, the poem, “Dover Beach”, is very relevant in our times. The poem shows that love, no matter how momentary, is needed to regain the trust. Loss of faith can be resolved by love and confiding in one another.