‘Instructor’s Name’
Dover Beach - Mathew Arnold
Dover Beach, written by Mathew Arnold, was first published in the year 1867, but many historical documents convey that the poem may actually been written as early as 1851. The title/locale of the poem, the Dover Beach, is situated in Kent, England and it faces the Calais, a ferry port of France. This place is the narrowest branch of the Dover strait and is the place where the poet spent his honeymoon. The poem is rich with imagery and metaphors and it describes in vivid detail naturalistic setting of a secluded beach.
The opening lines of the poem clearly states how the poet is attuned to the scenery in front of him. He describes the calmness of the environment, the moon, distant glowing lights in the French coast, mountain cliffs, and sweetness of the night air and the serenity of the bay. After describing the scenery the poem shifts to describe a detected sadness in the sound of the waves. Arnold says how the beach pebbles which are carried to and forth by the waves remind him of the sadness of human misery. This is an allegory the poet uses to depict how like the pebbles washed away by the waves, the faith in men’s heart has eroded resulting in eternal sadness. By describing the retreating waves and its roar, the poet explains how once people had immense faith on God and goodness, and this faith had wrapped itself around us, protecting us from misery. As the wave of doubt over religion invaded human minds, this protection has been gone and man feels abandoned.
“Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are here as on a darkling plain” (Arnold, 1851)
The world, according to the poet, has become devoid of love and peace, and it harbors only pain and hatred. The human heart has no guiding light and has become cynical and amoral. The world is like a battlefield with men fighting in the dark and it has become lonely and threatening. Thus, the poet implies that only faith in God can restore earth a peaceful and joyful existence or mankind.
