Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold | Matthew Arnold | Dover Beach | Explanation | Summary | Key Points | Word Meaning | Critical Appreciation | Questions Answers | Free PDF Download – Easy Literary Lessons
Dover Beach
(Matthew Arnold)
The sea is calm tonight.
The tide is full, the moon lies fair
Upon the straits; on the French coast the light
Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand,
Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.
Come to the window, sweet is the night-air!
Only, from the long line of spray
Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land,
Listen! you hear the grating roar
Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling,
At their return, up the high strand,
Begin, and cease, and then again begin,
With tremulous cadence slow, and bring
The eternal note of sadness in.
Sophocles long ago
Heard it on the Ægean, and it brought
Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow
Of human misery; we
Find also in the sound a thought,
Hearing it by this distant northern sea.
The Sea of Faith
Was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore
Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled.
But now I only hear
Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,
Retreating, to the breath
Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear
And naked shingles of the world.
Ah, love, let us be true
To one another! for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night.
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Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold Analysis
The sea is calm tonight.
The tide is full, the moon lies fair
Upon the straits; on the French coast the light
Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand,
Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.
Explanation: “The sea is calm tonight. The tide is full, the moon lies fair Upon the straits”: The speaker begins by describing a calm and beautiful night at the sea. The tide is full, suggesting a sense of completeness or fulfillment, and the moon is shining brightly on the straits, adding to the serene atmosphere.
“on the French coast the light Gleams and is gone”: This could be a lighthouse on the French coast, its light gleaming momentarily before disappearing. This fleeting light could symbolize the transient nature of human life or experiences.
“the cliffs of England stand, Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay”: The cliffs of England are portrayed as stable and enduring, standing vast against the tranquil bay. They glimmer in the moonlight, adding to the peaceful and majestic scenery.
Imagery: The stanza is rich with visual imagery. The calm sea, the full tide, the fair moon, the gleaming light on the French coast, and the glimmering cliffs of England all serve to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind.
Metaphor: The sea is used as a metaphor for the state of the world. Its calmness suggests a sense of peace and tranquility.
Personification: The moon is personified as lying fair upon the straits, adding a sense of beauty and serenity to the scene.
Come to the window, sweet is the night-air!
Only, from the long line of spray
Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land,
Explanation: “Come to the window, sweet is the night-air!”: The speaker invites someone (presumably a loved one) to come to the window and experience the sweet night air. This could be an invitation to share in the beauty of the scene, or perhaps an invitation to share in the speaker’s thoughts and feelings.
“Only, from the long line of spray Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land”: The speaker draws attention to the line of spray where the sea meets the land, which is illuminated by the moonlight (“moon-blanched”). This could symbolize the boundary between two worlds or states of being, such as the conscious and unconscious, reality and dreams, or perhaps the spiritual and physical realms.
Poetic Device
Imagery: The stanza uses sensory imagery to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind. The “sweet night-air” and the “long line of spray” where the sea meets the land are particularly evocative images.
Metaphor: The “long line of spray” where the sea meets the “moon-blanched land” serves as a metaphor for the boundary between two states or conditions, possibly symbolizing the boundary between reality and dreams, or consciousness and unconsciousness.
Personification: The land is personified as being “moon-blanched”, suggesting that it has been whitened or lightened by the moon. This adds a sense of beauty and serenity to the scene.
Listen! you hear the grating roar
Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling,
At their return, up the high strand,
Explanation: “Listen! you hear the grating roar Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling, At their return, up the high strand”: The speaker asks the listener to pay attention to the sound of the sea. The “grating roar” of the pebbles being drawn back and flung by the waves creates a powerful auditory image. This could symbolize the relentless cycle of nature, or perhaps the ebb and flow of human life and experiences.
Poetic Device
Imagery: The stanza uses auditory imagery to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind. The “grating roar” of the pebbles and the sound of the waves drawing back and flinging the pebbles up the high strand are particularly evocative images.
Metaphor: The “grating roar” of the pebbles could be seen as a metaphor for the harsh realities of life, which contrast with the serene and beautiful imagery of the earlier stanzas.
Personification: The waves are personified as they “draw back” the pebbles and “fling” them up the high strand. This gives the waves a sense of agency and power, enhancing the dynamic and forceful image of the sea.
Begin, and cease, and then again begin,
With tremulous cadence slow, and bring
The eternal note of sadness in.
Explanation: “Begin, and cease, and then again begin, With tremulous cadence slow”: The speaker describes the repetitive motion of the waves, which begin, cease, and then begin again. The “tremulous cadence slow” suggests a rhythm that is uncertain or unsteady, perhaps reflecting the speaker’s own feelings of uncertainty or unease.
“and bring The eternal note of sadness in”: The speaker suggests that the sound of the waves brings with it an “eternal note of sadness”. This could symbolize the inherent sadness or suffering in life, which is as constant and unending as the motion of the waves.
Poetic Device
Metaphor: The “tremulous cadence slow” serves as a metaphor for the rhythm of life, which is often uncertain or unsteady. The “eternal note of sadness” could be seen as a metaphor for the inherent sadness or suffering in life, which is as constant and unending as the motion of the waves.
Personification: The waves are personified as they “bring The eternal note of sadness in”. This gives the waves a sense of agency, enhancing the image of the sea as a powerful and emotive force.
Sophocles long ago
Heard it on the Ægean, and it brought
Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow
Of human misery; we
Find also in the sound a thought,
Hearing it by this distant northern sea.
Explanation: “Sophocles long ago Heard it on the Ægean”: The speaker refers to Sophocles, the ancient Greek playwright, who also heard the sound of the sea on the Ægean. This connects the speaker’s own experience to a broader historical and cultural context, suggesting that the feelings and thoughts evoked by the sea are universal and timeless.
“and it brought Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow Of human misery”: The speaker suggests that the sound of the sea brought to Sophocles’ mind the “turbid ebb and flow of human misery”. This could symbolize the constant cycle of suffering in human life, which is as relentless and unpredictable as the ebb and flow of the sea.
“we Find also in the sound a thought, Hearing it by this distant northern sea”: The speaker suggests that they, too, find a thought in the sound of the sea, even though they are hearing it by a distant northern sea, far from the Ægean where Sophocles once stood. This reinforces the idea that the sea, with its eternal rhythms and sounds, can evoke similar thoughts and feelings across different times and places.
Poetic Device
Allusion: The stanza begins with an allusion to Sophocles, the ancient Greek playwright. This reference serves to connect the speaker’s contemporary world with the ancient world, suggesting a continuity of human experience across time.
Imagery: The “turbid ebb and flow Of human misery” is a powerful image that uses the movement of the sea as a metaphor for the ups and downs of human life.
Metaphor: The “Ægean” sea and the “distant northern sea” are used as metaphors for different periods in time. The Ægean sea represents the ancient past when Sophocles lived, while the distant northern sea represents the speaker’s present.
Personification: The sea is personified as it “brought Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow Of human misery”. This gives the sea a sense of agency, enhancing the image of the sea as a powerful and emotive force.
The Sea of Faith
Was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore
Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled.
Explanation: “The Sea of Faith Was once, too, at the full”: The “Sea of Faith” is a metaphor that Arnold uses to describe a time when religious faith was at its peak or “full”. This could be a reference to a time in history when religion played a central role in society and provided a sense of certainty and purpose.
“and round earth’s shore Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled”: The speaker describes the “Sea of Faith” as encircling the earth’s shore like the folds of a bright girdle that’s been furled or rolled up. This could symbolize the protective and unifying role that faith once played, wrapping around the world like a bright, protective belt.
Poetic Device
Metaphor: The “Sea of Faith” is a metaphor for religious faith. The speaker uses this metaphor to describe a time when faith was at its peak, or “full”. This could be a reference to a time in history when religion played a central role in society and provided a sense of certainty and purpose.
Simile: The phrase “Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled” uses a simile to compare the Sea of Faith to a bright girdle that’s been furled or rolled up. This could symbolize the protective and unifying role that faith once played, wrapping around the world like a bright, protective belt.
But now I only hear
Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,
Retreating, to the breath
Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear
And naked shingles of the world.
Explanation: “But now I only hear Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar”: The speaker now hears only the melancholy, long, withdrawing roar of the “Sea of Faith”. This could symbolize the decline or withdrawal of religious faith in the modern world, which is experienced as a melancholy or sorrowful sound.
“Retreating, to the breath Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear And naked shingles of the world”: The “Sea of Faith” is described as retreating to the breath of the night-wind, down the vast, dreary edges and naked shingles of the world. This could symbolize the retreat of faith from the world, leaving it exposed or “naked”. The “night-wind” could symbolize the cold, harsh reality of a world without faith.
Poetic Device
Imagery: The stanza uses auditory imagery to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind. The “melancholy, long, withdrawing roar” and the “vast edges drear And naked shingles of the world” are particularly evocative images.
Metaphor: The “melancholy, long, withdrawing roar” serves as a metaphor for the decline or withdrawal of religious faith in the modern world, which is experienced as a melancholy or sorrowful sound.
Personification: The “Sea of Faith” is personified as it retreats to the breath of the night-wind, down the vast edges and naked shingles of the world. This gives the sea a sense of agency, enhancing the image of the sea as a powerful and emotive force.
Ah, love, let us be true
To one another! for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
Explanation: “Ah, love, let us be true To one another!”: The speaker addresses a loved one, imploring them to remain true to each other. This could be a plea for honesty, loyalty, or authenticity in their relationship.
“for the world, which seems To lie before us like a land of dreams, So various, so beautiful, so new”: The speaker describes the world as appearing like a land of dreams, full of variety, beauty, and novelty. This could symbolize the allure and deception of worldly life, which can seem appealing and promising on the surface.
“Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain”: The speaker asserts that the world, despite its apparent allure, ultimately offers no real joy, love, light, certainty, peace, or relief from pain. This could reflect a disillusionment with worldly life, or perhaps a realization of the transient and unsatisfactory nature of worldly pleasures and achievements.
Poetic Device
Apostrophe: The speaker uses apostrophe, a figure of speech in which the speaker directly addresses someone or something that isn’t present in the poem. In this case, the speaker is addressing a loved one, imploring them to be true to each other.
Imagery: The stanza uses sensory imagery to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind. The world is described as a “land of dreams”, “so various, so beautiful, so new”, creating a sense of wonder and beauty.
Metaphor: The world is compared to a “land of dreams”, suggesting that it is full of possibilities and potential. However, the speaker then reveals that the world “Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain”, suggesting that these dreams are illusory or unattainable.
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night.
Explanation: “And we are here as on a darkling plain Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight”: The speaker describes their current state as being on a “darkling plain”, a dark, vast, and uncertain landscape swept with “confused alarms of struggle and flight”. This could symbolize the confusion, struggle, and uncertainty of life in a world without the guiding light of faith.
“Where ignorant armies clash by night”: The speaker ends the poem with a powerful image of “ignorant armies” clashing by night. This could symbolize the senseless conflicts and struggles that arise in a world where people are “in the dark”, lacking the guidance and understanding that faith once provided.
Poetic Device
Imagery: The stanza uses visual and auditory imagery to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind. The “darkling plain”, the “confused alarms of struggle and flight”, and the “ignorant armies clashing by night” are particularly evocative images.
Metaphor: The “darkling plain” serves as a metaphor for the uncertain and confusing landscape of the modern world. The “ignorant armies” could symbolize the senseless conflicts and struggles that arise in a world where people are “in the dark”, lacking the guidance and understanding that faith once provided.
