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Dover Beach 1. Intoduction Dover Beach first published in 1867, is Mathew Arnold s most representative poem. The poem presents two things: the loss of faith and the reality of the new world. In the poem, Arnold laments the decline in faith in God and religion, brought about by the unprecedented growth in science and commerce, giving rise to questions and doubts in the society. The time when Arnold was writing this poem, England was torn between science and religion, materialism and morals and doubts and beliefs. It was an age that was known as the age of reforms in not only industries and religions but also in politics and society. Darwin and other scientists with their scientific discoveries had made the Victorians question and challenge the existing religious beliefs. Arnold s preoccupation with the significance of a world rich in morals and ethics and the despair that arises from the loss of faith is clearly evident in this poem. 2. Summary Stanza 1 (Line 1 to Line 5) The speaker looks out upon a calm sea, and observes the fullness of the tide and the moon reflecting on the water. Looking across the English channel, the speaker sees the lights of the French coast fade away on the French coast the light gleams and is gone , while the cliffs of the English coast stand tall and bright, and the bay seems calm. Here, the strait refers to the Strait of Dover, which connects the English Channel to the North Sea. (Line 6 to Line 14) Suddenly, the speaker addresses someone else, and implores this person to come and look at what the speaker is looking at, and to enjoy the night's pleasant air sweet is the night air . The speaker describes the spray where the sea meets the moon-blanched land . The speaker instructs the other person to listen to the grating roar sound of the pebbles as the waves shift them back and forth, up the beach and down again. The jarring roar of the pebbles caused by the ebb and flow of the sea creates a striking contrast to the pleasant atmosphere described in the first few lines. The speaker notes this slow repeating action, and identifies it with eternal note of sadness in the life of human beings.
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