Dramatic construction through language use
Matthew Arnold presents the life of a modern mankind in an ignorant and negative ways stating that industrial revolution evanesce with religious faith. This symbolizes that the people without faith or religion have a dark future. Modern men are portrayed to think that industrial revolution will have advantage over nature. This superiority thought makes the humans arrogant since nature will always dominate in reality. This wishful thought makes the people ignorant. The use of pebbles in the poem shows how inferior the humans are compared to nature. He says the pebbles are drawn back and flung by the waves showing how powerless they are in the sea. The insinuation to Peloponnesian War emphasizes on the human ignorance. The poet says the soldiers are unable to distinguish between the opponents and their own in the dark. Similarly this was used to show that mankind was so stupid to throw away religion for industrial revolution; atleast religion gave the people something to hope for or rely on. Throwing it away is a naïve decision that the humans made.
Confidence and arrogance, which took place in western regions, can be attributed to industrial revolution. The revolution was revolutionary; people could produce large quantities of good quality products with ease. The machines had become their hands. Industrial revolution had come with realism idea; goods were produced to near perfection, with the help of improved science and technology and thus started to doubt God, His existence and the supernatural beings. Realism is a contrast to theology which believes that the existence of God should not be questioned. People believed in theology before realism came along. Theology gave people modesty and hope under the existence of God which was mighty. These two characteristics have however disappeared with the introduction of industrial revolution. Arnold expresses bitterness when he exclaims “ah love” to indicate that in the present changing world, the only reliable, trustworthy and true person is ones partner in life. The modern world is described sarcastically as the land of dreams; in reality all hope for the world is gone since there is no faith left.
The poem proceeds to use mood to explain the reality of the issues. The grief on the loss of faith is noticeable and extends to resignation towards the end of the poem. The wane of doctrine, a gradual process which adds to the view that the peoples’ change in life is not very noticeable, is conveyed by the “tremulous cadence slow”. This process catches the people unaware of transformations taking place and so it is not in their thoughts whether it is sinful or wrong. The poet is hurt by this process and feels sorry that the historical allusion was full of sadness. The note of sadness is said to be eternal to portray what mankind was suffering by turning away from God and religious beliefs. Before the advancement in science and technology people used to have a sea of faith and believed that they could control the earth but now industrial revolution has made this faith “retreat down the vast edges”. The writer uses this metaphor to clearly indicate the diminishing faith of the people. He also points out that lack of faith in for humans makes them naked with no defense or protection which indicates that they are vulnerable in their lives.
The future of the humans is expressed as uncertain. The writer says that the new world of industrialization is a variety, beautiful and new but continues to say that this is just a mere appearance. This new world is a mechanic one and it portrays no love, joy or light because the machines do not have feelings. This can be used to mean that the future of the humans would have no peace, certitude or help for pain, which in reality are essentialities in human life. The only way to survive the harsh world brought about by industrialization is to trust one another but still industrialization will break this bondage. The changes are said to bring confused alarms which resembles the dark vision ahead for humans. Ebb and flow being turbid indicates the future is uncertain as in reality they are the cycles of nature. Humans can thus only survive if they work along with nature; going against it would mean extinction. The uncertainty of the modern man is portrayed by the glimmering and gleaming of the cliffs in England. They are indications of a shaky future. The tone used by the writer in this sentence is stuttering, a further indication of uncertainty. This indicates that religious beliefs were declining just like the cliffs were withering away thus showing the deterioration of the earth due to over exploitation of resources by humans.
This poem indicates the flaws of realism and modernism. Modernization brings faith loss and eventual loss of equilibrium. This is because science indicates no hope; everything is exact as measured hence the modern world of science and technology is vain. Humans are inferior to spiritual beliefs and nature and are not capable of controlling them. Abandoning religion with and for industrial revolution is an act that is vain against the power of nature which is overwhelming. Human should have a sense of religion and faith because ignoring it leads to vulnerability and uncertainty in life.
Works Cited
Arnold, Matthew. "Dover Beach." The English Journal (1965): 446.
English Literature. "Analysis on Dover Beach." 25 March 2011. English Language and Literature. http://englishlanguageliterature.com/2011/03/25/analysis-on-dover-beach/. 30 May 2013.
