Introduction: “Dover Beach” by Matthew Arnold
“Dover Beach” by Matthew Arnold, first appeared in 1867 in his collection New Poems, is renowned for its exploration of themes such as the loss of faith, human isolation, and the contrast between appearance and reality in the modern world. Arnold uses the image of the sea, with its ebb and flow, to symbolize the waning of religious faith and certainty in a rapidly changing society. The poem’s melancholic tone and vivid imagery capture a sense of longing and despair that resonated with readers of the Victorian era, who were grappling with similar questions about faith, science, and the human condition. “Dover Beach” remains popular today for its poignant, timeless reflection on existential uncertainty and the fragile comfort found in human connection amidst a tumultuous world.
Text: “Dover Beach” by 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.
Annotations: “Dover Beach” by Matthew Arnold
| Line | Annotation |
| The sea is calm tonight. | Sets a tranquil scene, emphasizing peace and stability. The calm sea serves as a metaphor for temporary stillness, contrasting with the turmoil that follows. |
| The tide is full, the moon lies fair | Creates a serene visual, where the tide is high, symbolizing fullness or completeness. The fair moonlight reflects beauty and purity, adding to the peaceful atmosphere. |
| Upon the straits; on the French coast the light | Introduces distance between England and France, representing separateness or isolation. The light on the French coast hints at civilization and connection. |
| Gleams and is gone; | Fleeting nature of the light symbolizes transience and the impermanence of human moments or emotions. |
| The cliffs of England stand, | England’s cliffs stand as strong symbols of stability and endurance amidst change, highlighting national pride but also isolation. |
| Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay. | Depicts a timeless, majestic view that’s calm yet detached, suggesting a sense of solitude. |
| Come to the window, sweet is the night-air! | Invites a loved one to share in the beauty of the scene, adding a personal, intimate dimension to the setting. |
| Only, from the long line of spray | Shifts from visual to auditory imagery, moving focus to the waves, hinting at deeper emotions beneath the calm surface. |
| Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land, | Creates a mystical, otherworldly atmosphere; “moon-blanched” implies a lifelessness or haunting quality. |
| Listen! you hear the grating roar | Urges attentive listening to the sea’s sounds, introducing a harsher tone as the “grating roar” contrasts the earlier calm. |
| Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling, | Personifies waves as they move the pebbles back and forth, symbolizing the relentless cycles of nature and life’s inevitable struggles. |
| At their return, up the high strand, | “Return” of waves suggests repetition and monotony, perhaps reflecting the cycles of hope and despair in human experience. |
| Begin, and cease, and then again begin, | Emphasizes the perpetual, cyclical nature of the waves, alluding to the constant but unresolved struggles of life. |
| With tremulous cadence slow, and bring | “Tremulous” implies a quivering or fragile movement, while the slow cadence brings a sorrowful or contemplative tone. |
| The eternal note of sadness in. | Implies that sadness is a constant, inescapable part of existence, mirroring the human condition and collective suffering. |
| Sophocles long ago | References the Greek playwright Sophocles, linking the poem’s themes to ancient wisdom and shared human suffering across time. |
| Heard it on the Ægean, and it brought | Connects the sound of the sea with the Greek experience, implying that suffering and struggle are universal and timeless. |
| Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow | “Turbid ebb and flow” symbolizes murky human emotions and suffering, resonating with the themes of chaos and unpredictability in life. |
| Of human misery; we | Arnold universalizes suffering, suggesting it’s not just historical or cultural but part of everyone’s life experience. |
| Find also in the sound a thought, | Shifts from personal to shared experience, where everyone perceives sadness and loss through the sound of the sea. |
| Hearing it by this distant northern sea. | Anchors the poem back to its setting in Dover, England, contrasting the “northern sea” with the Aegean to show shared humanity despite geographical separation. |
| The Sea of Faith | Introduces the metaphor of faith as a sea, once full and nourishing, but now receding, representing the decline of religious certainty. |
| Was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore | Describes faith as pervasive, surrounding the world, giving a sense of unity and purpose that has since diminished. |
| Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled. | The image of a bright girdle suggests faith was once protective, bright, and secure, wrapping around and comforting humanity. |
| But now I only hear | Signals a shift to the present, where the poet notes the absence of this comforting “Sea of Faith.” |
| Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar, | Evokes a sense of irrevocable loss as faith recedes, leaving emptiness and sadness in its wake. |
| Retreating, to the breath | “Retreating” and “breath” personify the sea’s movement, portraying faith as something once alive that is now fading. |
| Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear | “Vast edges drear” conveys the desolate feeling left as faith withdraws, leaving a barren and empty world behind. |
| And naked shingles of the world. | “Naked shingles” signify the world’s exposure and vulnerability without faith, symbolizing a bleak, desolate existence. |
| Ah, love, let us be true | A plea for authenticity and commitment in personal relationships as a source of comfort in a seemingly meaningless world. |
| To one another! for the world, which seems | Suggests that human connection is the last refuge in a world that seems vast and unknowable. |
| To lie before us like a land of dreams, | Compares the world to a dreamland, which may appear appealing yet lacks substance and certainty. |
| So various, so beautiful, so new, | Acknowledges the world’s beauty but implies it is superficial, a mere illusion that does not hold true meaning. |
| Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, | Denounces the world’s supposed virtues, claiming that they lack true substance in the absence of faith. |
| Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain; | Lists essential human desires that the world cannot fulfill, leaving people in despair without faith or meaning. |
| And we are here as on a darkling plain | Describes humanity as lost, on an uncertain, dark landscape, suggesting confusion and fear. |
| Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, | Images of struggle and retreat evoke the chaos and instability of human life. |
| Where ignorant armies clash by night. | Concludes with an image of “ignorant armies” fighting blindly, symbolizing futile conflicts and misunderstandings in a faithless world. |
Literary And Poetic Devices: “Dover Beach” by Matthew Arnold
| Device | Examples in “Dover Beach” | Explanation |
| Alliteration | “The tide is full, the moon lies fair” / “Swept with struggle and strife” | Repetition of initial consonant sounds enhances rhythm and emphasizes specific phrases, adding a musical, flowing quality to the poem. |
| Allusion | “Sophocles long ago / Heard it on the Ægean” | Reference to the Greek playwright Sophocles, invoking ancient wisdom and linking the enduring nature of human suffering across different eras. |
| Anaphora | “nor joy, nor love, nor light, / Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain” | Repetition of “nor” emphasizes the emptiness and despair Arnold sees in the modern world, contributing to the poem’s melancholic tone. |
| Assonance | “moon lies fair” / “night-wind” | Repetition of vowel sounds creates internal rhyme, lending a harmonious, sonorous quality to the lines that complement the calm yet melancholic tone. |
| Caesura | “But now I only hear / Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar” | The pause after “hear” slows the rhythm, creating a reflective tone that mirrors the fading sound of faith. |
| Consonance | “cliffs of England stand” / “the high strand” | Repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words adds texture to the line, emphasizing the solidity and isolation of England’s cliffs. |
| Enjambment | “The sea is calm tonight. / The tide is full, the moon lies fair / Upon the straits” | Continuation of a sentence without a pause at the end of a line creates a flowing, uninterrupted feeling that mimics the natural movement of the sea. |
| Hyperbole | “Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light” | Exaggerates the world’s perceived lack of joy, love, and certainty, intensifying the speaker’s sense of despair with the emptiness of modern life. |
| Imagery | “The tide is full, the moon lies fair / Upon the straits; on the French coast the light / Gleams and is gone” | Vivid visuals of the sea and coastline establish a serene setting that contrasts with the poem’s darker existential themes. |
| Metaphor | “The Sea of Faith” | Represents religious faith as a literal sea that once covered the world, symbolizing the once-pervasive nature of faith that has since receded. |
| Metonymy | “The Sea of Faith” | The “sea” represents the collective belief or faith of society, where a part represents a larger abstract concept. |
| Onomatopoeia | “grating roar / Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling” | Words like “grating” mimic the harsh sound of waves pulling pebbles, enhancing the sensory experience and reflecting inner turmoil. |
| Oxymoron | “melancholy, long, withdrawing roar” | Combines “melancholy” and “withdrawing,” juxtaposing emotions to reflect the sadness in faith’s retreat from society. |
| Paradox | “So various, so beautiful, so new” / “Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light” | Contradicts the beauty of the world with its lack of joy and meaning, revealing a hidden despair beneath the world’s appearance. |
| Personification | “The sea is calm tonight” / “Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar” | Attributes human qualities to the sea, presenting it as a reflective being capable of emotions, mirroring human sadness and loss. |
| Simile | “Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled” | Compares the Sea of Faith to a protective, beautiful girdle that once surrounded the world, enhancing the sense of loss as it retreats. |
| Symbolism | “The Sea of Faith” / “moon-blanched land” | The “Sea of Faith” symbolizes religious belief, while the “moon-blanched land” suggests a barren, lifeless landscape left in the wake of faith’s decline. |
| Synecdoche | “Where ignorant armies clash by night” | “Armies” represent humanity’s conflicts and misunderstandings, symbolizing society as a whole embroiled in struggles without purpose or clarity. |
| Tone | Melancholy, contemplative, despairing | The speaker’s tone reflects sadness and resignation regarding the loss of faith and stability in a world devoid of true meaning. |
| Visual Imagery | “Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay” / “moon-blanched land” | Evokes vivid images of the cliffs and sea under moonlight, emphasizing the beauty of nature contrasted with the sadness of human existence. |
Themes: “Dover Beach” by Matthew Arnold
- Loss of Faith: One of the central themes in “Dover Beach” is the decline of religious faith in the modern world. Arnold presents this idea through the metaphor of the “Sea of Faith,” which “Was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore / Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled.” The image of the sea retreating symbolizes the diminishing presence of faith that once enveloped the world, providing stability and purpose. Now, the poet hears only its “melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,” suggesting that faith is leaving humanity in a state of existential emptiness, no longer offering the comfort or guidance it once did.
- Human Suffering and Misery: Arnold emphasizes the universality of human suffering, connecting it across time and space. He alludes to the Greek playwright Sophocles, who “long ago / Heard it on the Ægean, and it brought / Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow / Of human misery.” Here, the “turbid ebb and flow” mirrors the fluctuating tides of sorrow and strife that persist in human life, regardless of cultural or historical context. Arnold uses this image to illustrate the timeless nature of suffering, showing how despair and hardship are inescapable aspects of human existence.
- The Illusion of Beauty and Certainty: Arnold explores the discrepancy between the world’s superficial beauty and its lack of true meaning or stability. He describes the world as lying “before us like a land of dreams, / So various, so beautiful, so new,” suggesting a landscape that appears idyllic and promising. However, he quickly undercuts this illusion, stating it “Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, / Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain.” This contrast highlights the theme of disillusionment, as Arnold suggests that beauty and variety in the world cannot mask the inherent emptiness beneath the surface.
- Human Connection as a Source of Comfort: Amidst the despair and uncertainty depicted in the poem, Arnold suggests that human love and connection can offer solace. In the concluding lines, he urges, “Ah, love, let us be true / To one another!” In a world that is “Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, / Where ignorant armies clash by night,” human relationships provide the only source of stability and meaning. This plea for loyalty and truth between individuals reflects Arnold’s belief that, while the external world may lack certainty and purpose, personal connections can offer a degree of comfort and reliability amidst life’s turbulence.
Literary Theories and “Dover Beach” by Matthew Arnold
| Literary Theory | Application to “Dover Beach” | References from the Poem |
| Romanticism | Romanticism emphasizes emotion, nature, and the sublime, themes Arnold subtly uses to critique modernity. | The poem’s focus on natural beauty and human emotion is evident in lines like “The sea is calm tonight. / The tide is full, the moon lies fair,” reflecting Romantic ideals. |
| Existentialism | Existentialism explores human existence, purpose, and individual meaning in a world often seen as indifferent or chaotic. | Arnold’s despair over the loss of meaning is clear in “Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, / Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain.” |
| Modernism | Modernism critiques traditional values and explores feelings of alienation and disillusionment with modernity. | The poem’s metaphor of the receding “Sea of Faith” reflects disillusionment with established beliefs, emblematic of Modernist concerns with faith and certainty. |
Critical Questions about “Dover Beach” by Matthew Arnold
- How does Arnold use imagery of the sea to symbolize faith, and what implications does this have for understanding Victorian anxieties about religion?
- Arnold employs the sea as a powerful metaphor for faith, describing the “Sea of Faith” as once full, “round earth’s shore / Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled.” This imagery suggests a time when faith encompassed the world, offering security and purpose. As the sea now retreats with a “melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,” Arnold reflects Victorian concerns about the diminishing influence of religion. This shift toward secularism left many Victorians feeling adrift and uncertain, mirroring the poet’s view that faith’s decline exposes humanity to a bleak, unprotected world.
- In what ways does “Dover Beach” convey a sense of universal human suffering, and how does Arnold connect this to ancient perspectives?
- Arnold draws on the timelessness of human misery, connecting his own feelings to those of the ancient Greeks. He references “Sophocles long ago” who, standing by the Ægean Sea, was similarly moved by “the turbid ebb and flow / Of human misery.” This allusion suggests that suffering and existential struggles are not confined to any single era or culture; rather, they are universal, continuous elements of human experience. By invoking the ancient playwright, Arnold implies that his own age’s disillusionment is part of a broader, enduring struggle with meaning and human suffering.
- How does Arnold’s portrayal of the world as a “land of dreams” reflect Romantic disillusionment with modernity?
- The poem presents the world as “like a land of dreams, / So various, so beautiful, so new,” seemingly full of potential and wonder. However, Arnold undercuts this idyllic vision by revealing that the world “Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light.” This dissonance between appearance and reality reflects a Romantic disillusionment with modernity, where beauty and novelty mask a profound emptiness. Arnold’s critique highlights a feeling of betrayal, where the promises of progress and newness fail to provide the emotional and spiritual fulfillment once found in faith and tradition.
- What role does human connection play in providing stability in an otherwise uncertain world according to “Dover Beach”?
- In the face of spiritual and existential despair, Arnold turns to human connection as a potential source of comfort and reliability. He pleads, “Ah, love, let us be true / To one another!” emphasizing that mutual support and loyalty are essential in a world that “Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light.” The poem concludes with an image of a “darkling plain…where ignorant armies clash by night,” suggesting that in a world fraught with confusion and conflict, personal relationships are the only anchor. Arnold’s focus on love as a stabilizing force underscores the Romantic ideal that, in the absence of divine or external certainties, individual connections can offer meaning and solace.
Literary Works Similar to “Dover Beach” by Matthew Arnold
- “The Second Coming” by W.B. Yeats
This poem, like “Dover Beach,” explores themes of societal disintegration and the loss of faith, capturing a bleak vision of a world in turmoil. - “Ode to the West Wind” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Shelley’s poem reflects on nature’s power and change, mirroring Arnold’s use of natural imagery to convey deeper existential concerns. - “God’s Grandeur” by Gerard Manley Hopkins
Hopkins grapples with the tension between spiritual beauty and human degradation, echoing Arnold’s exploration of faith’s decline in a modern world. - “To the Evening Star” by William Blake
Blake’s poem expresses a longing for peace and guidance, similar to Arnold’s yearning for stability and solace amidst uncertainty. - “Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey” by William Wordsworth
Wordsworth’s reflections on nature’s enduring influence mirror Arnold’s use of the sea as a symbol for timeless, universal truths in human experience.
Representative Quotations of “Dover Beach” by Matthew Arnold
| Quotation | Context | Theoretical Perspective |
| “The sea is calm tonight.” | Opens the poem with an image of tranquility, setting a calm scene that contrasts with the internal turmoil soon revealed. | Romanticism: This peaceful scene reflects Romantic ideals of nature as a place of beauty and refuge. |
| “The tide is full, the moon lies fair / Upon the straits” | Evokes a sense of completeness and beauty in nature, suggesting an illusion of stability and harmony. | Existentialism: The fleeting beauty of nature here reflects the human search for stability in a transient world. |
| “Sophocles long ago / Heard it on the Ægean” | Links Arnold’s experience of the sea to Sophocles, who also found it evocative of human misery, bridging ancient and modern suffering. | Classical Allusion: Refers to timeless, universal suffering, an existential concern for the human condition. |
| “The grating roar / Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling” | Uses auditory imagery to describe the relentless movement of waves, reflecting internal unrest and existential uncertainty. | Modernism: The unsettling, repetitive sound symbolizes the erosion of stability and certainty in a modern world. |
| “The Sea of Faith / Was once, too, at the full” | Describes faith as a once-pervasive force that surrounded the world, providing unity and comfort. | Religious Decline: Reflects Victorian concerns about the diminishing influence of religious faith in society. |
| “But now I only hear / Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar” | Conveys the retreat of faith, leaving a melancholic emptiness that reflects the poet’s sense of despair. | Secularism: Represents the existential void left by the withdrawal of religious beliefs in a secularizing society. |
| “Ah, love, let us be true / To one another!” | A plea for personal connection in a world stripped of joy and meaning, where human love is one of the few remaining sources of comfort. | Humanism: Emphasizes individual relationships and mutual support as sources of stability amid existential crises. |
| “For the world, which seems / To lie before us like a land of dreams” | Suggests that the world’s appearance is deceptive, concealing a lack of true joy or purpose. | Romantic Disillusionment: Expresses Romantic disappointment with the illusory nature of worldly beauty and progress. |
| “Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light” | Denies the world’s promises of fulfillment, conveying a bleak vision where true happiness and meaning are absent. | Existential Despair: Reflects a worldview where life’s promises of joy are ultimately empty, fueling a sense of existential crisis. |
| “Where ignorant armies clash by night.” | Ends with an image of chaotic, blind conflict, symbolizing humanity’s struggles in a world without clear purpose or guidance. | Modernist Alienation: Illustrates a vision of a fractured, conflicted society struggling blindly, a hallmark of modernist concerns. |
Suggested Readings: “Dover Beach” by Matthew Arnold
- Miller, Lois T. “The Eternal Note of Sadness: An Analysis of Matthew Arnold’s ‘Dover Beach.'” The English Journal, vol. 54, no. 5, 1965, pp. 447–48. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/811251. Accessed 26 Oct. 2024.
- Schneider, Mary W. “The Lucretian Background of ‘Dover Beach.'” Victorian Poetry, vol. 19, no. 2, 1981, pp. 190–95. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40035470. Accessed 26 Oct. 2024.
- Racin, John. “‘Dover Beach’ and the Structure of Meditation.” Victorian Poetry, vol. 8, no. 1, 1970, pp. 49–54. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40001521. Accessed 26 Oct. 2024.
- CADBURY, WILLIAM. “Coming to Terms with ‘Dover Beach.'” Criticism, vol. 8, no. 2, 1966, pp. 126–38. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23094128. Accessed 26 Oct. 2024.
- Midgley, Mary. “Dover Beach: Understanding the Pains of Bereavement.” Philosophy, vol. 81, no. 316, 2006, pp. 209–30. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4127434. Accessed 26 Oct. 2024.
- Bidney, Martin. “Of the Devil’s Party: Undetected Words of Milton’s Satan in Arnold’s ‘Dover Beach.'” Victorian Poetry, vol. 20, no. 1, 1982, pp. 85–89. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40003694. Accessed 26 Oct. 2024.
- Knoepflmacher, U. C. “Dover Revisited: The Wordsworthian Matrix in the Poetry of Matthew Arnold.” Victorian Poetry, vol. 1, no. 1, 1963, pp. 17–26. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40001228. Accessed 26 Oct. 2024.
- Rowe, M. W., and M. W. Rose. “Arnold and the Metaphysics of Science: A Note on ‘Dover Beach.'” Victorian Poetry, vol. 27, no. 2, 1989, pp. 213–17. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40002346. Accessed 26 Oct. 2024.
- Arnold, Matthew. “Dover Beach.” The English Journal, vol. 54, no. 5, 1965, pp. 446–446. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/811250. Accessed 26 Oct. 2024.
- Keech, James M. “‘Dover Beach’ Again.” CEA Critic, vol. 35, no. 2, 1973, pp. 35–36. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44375807. Accessed 26 Oct. 2024.