"The Forsaken Merman" by Matthew Arnold: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Table of Contents

“The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold first appeared in 1849 in the collection The Strayed Reveller, and Other Poems. The poem explores themes of love, loss, and the conflict between human faith and the call of nature. It tells the poignant story of a merman whose human wife, Margaret, leaves him and their children to return to the world of humans, forsaking the sea for religious devotion. The poem’s melancholic tone and lyrical quality contribute to its enduring popularity. Arnold contrasts the mystical beauty of the underwater world—”Sand-strewn caverns, cool and deep, / Where the winds are all asleep”—with the rigid, duty-bound human existence Margaret chooses. The rhythmic repetition of “Margaret! Margaret!” emphasizes the sorrow of abandonment, making the poem a powerful meditation on the cost of faith and duty when set against love and belonging. The poem’s evocative imagery and emotional depth have solidified its place in Victorian poetry as a reflection on the tension between the spiritual and the earthly.

Text: “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Come, dear children, let us away;

Down and away below!

Now my brothers call from the bay,

Now the great winds shoreward blow,

Now the salt tides seaward flow;

Now the wild white horses play,

Champ and chafe and toss in the spray.

Children dear, let us away!

This way, this way!

Call her once before you go—

Call once yet!

In a voice that she will know:

“Margaret! Margaret!”

Children’s voices should be dear

(Call once more) to a mother’s ear;

Children’s voices, wild with pain—

Surely she will come again!

Call her once and come away;

This way, this way!

“Mother dear, we cannot stay!

The wild white horses foam and fret.”

Margaret! Margaret!

Come, dear children, come away down;

Call no more!

One last look at the white-wall’d town

And the little grey church on the windy shore,

Then come down!

She will not come though you call all day;

Come away, come away!

Children dear, was it yesterday

We heard the sweet bells over the bay?

In the caverns where we lay,

Through the surf and through the swell,

The far-off sound of a silver bell?

Sand-strewn caverns, cool and deep,

Where the winds are all asleep;

Where the spent lights quiver and gleam,

Where the salt weed sways in the stream,

Where the sea-beasts, ranged all round,

Feed in the ooze of their pasture-ground;

Where the sea-snakes coil and twine,

Dry their mail and bask in the brine;

Where great whales come sailing by,

Sail and sail, with unshut eye,

Round the world for ever and aye?

When did music come this way?

Children dear, was it yesterday?

Children dear, was it yesterday

(Call yet once) that she went away?

Once she sate with you and me,

On a red gold throne in the heart of the sea,

And the youngest sate on her knee.

She comb’d its bright hair, and she tended it well,

When down swung the sound of a far-off bell.

She sigh’d, she look’d up through the clear green sea;

She said: “I must go, to my kinsfolk pray

In the little grey church on the shore to-day.

‘T will be Easter-time in the world—ah me!

And I lose my poor soul, Merman! here with thee.”

I said: “Go up, dear heart, through the waves;

Say thy prayer, and come back to the kind sea-caves!”

She smiled, she went up through the surf in the bay.

Children dear, was it yesterday?

Children dear, were we long alone?

“The sea grows stormy, the little ones moan;

Long prayers,” I said, “in the world they say;

Come!” I said; and we rose through the surf in the bay.

We went up the beach, by the sandy down

Where the sea-stocks bloom, to the white-wall’d town;

Through the narrow paved streets, where all was still,

To the little grey church on the windy hill.

From the church came a murmur of folk at their prayers,

But we stood without in the cold blowing airs.

We climb’d on the graves, on the stones worn with rains,

And we gazed up the aisle through the small leaded panes.

She sate by the pillar; we saw her clear:

“Margaret, hist! come quick, we are here!

Dear heart,” I said, “we are long alone;

The sea grows stormy, the little ones moan.”

But, ah, she gave me never a look,

For her eyes were seal’d to the holy book!

Loud prays the priest; shut stands the door.

Come away, children, call no more!

Come away, come down, call no more!

Down, down, down!

Down to the depths of the sea!

She sits at her wheel in the humming town,

Singing most joyfully.

Hark what she sings: “O joy, O joy,

For the humming street, and the child with its toy!

For the priest, and the bell, and the holy well;

For the wheel where I spun,

And the blessed light of the sun!”

And so she sings her fill,

Singing most joyfully,

Till the spindle drops from her hand,

And the whizzing wheel stands still.

She steals to the window, and looks at the sand,

And over the sand at the sea;

And her eyes are set in a stare;

And anon there breaks a sigh,

And anon there drops a tear,

From a sorrow-clouded eye,

And a heart sorrow-laden,

A long, long sigh;

For the cold strange eyes of a little Mermaiden

And the gleam of her golden hair.

Come away, away children

Come children, come down!

The hoarse wind blows coldly;

Lights shine in the town.

She will start from her slumber

When gusts shake the door;

She will hear the winds howling,

Will hear the waves roar.

We shall see, while above us

The waves roar and whirl,

A ceiling of amber,

A pavement of pearl.

Singing: “Here came a mortal,

But faithless was she!

And alone dwell for ever

The kings of the sea.”

But, children, at midnight,

When soft the winds blow,

When clear falls the moonlight,

When spring-tides are low;

When sweet airs come seaward

From heaths starr’d with broom,

And high rocks throw mildly

On the blanch’d sands a gloom;

Up the still, glistening beaches,

Up the creeks we will hie,

Over banks of bright seaweed

The ebb-tide leaves dry.

We will gaze, from the sand-hills,

At the white, sleeping town;

At the church on the hill-side—

And then come back down.

Singing: “There dwells a loved one,

But cruel is she!

She left lonely for ever

The kings of the sea.”

Annotations: “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Line	Text	Literary Devices	Annotations in Simple English
1	Come, dear children, let us away;	Apostrophe, Imperative mood	The Merman calls his children to leave with him.
2	Down and away below!	Repetition, Exclamation	He urges them to go deep into the sea.
3	Now my brothers call from the bay,	Personification, Imagery	His brothers are calling from the bay.
4	Now the great winds shoreward blow,	Imagery, Alliteration	The strong winds are blowing toward the shore.
5	Now the salt tides seaward flow;	Imagery, Alliteration	The tides are flowing back to the sea.
6	Now the wild white horses play,	Metaphor, Imagery	The waves look like wild white horses.
7	Champ and chafe and toss in the spray.	Onomatopoeia, Alliteration	The waves are crashing and splashing.
8	Children dear, let us away!	Apostrophe, Imperative mood	He repeats his call for the children to leave.
9	This way, this way!	Repetition, Exclamation	He directs them to follow him.
10	Call her once before you go—	Imperative mood, Enjambment	He tells the children to call Margaret one last time.
11	Call once yet!	Repetition, Exclamation	He insists they call her again.
12	In a voice that she will know:	Imagery, Enjambment	They should call her in a voice she recognizes.
13	“Margaret! Margaret!”	Repetition, Apostrophe	They call out her name.
14	Children’s voices should be dear	Imagery, Enjambment	A mother should love her children’s voices.
15	(Call once more) to a mother’s ear;	Parenthesis, Imagery	He tells them to call again so she can hear.
16	Children’s voices, wild with pain—	Imagery, Dash	Their voices sound desperate and sad.
17	Surely she will come again!	Exclamation, Assumption	He believes she will return.
18	Call her once and come away;	Imperative mood, Enjambment	He tells them to call her and then leave.
19	This way, this way!	Repetition, Exclamation	He urges them to follow him.
20	“Mother dear, we cannot stay!	Apostrophe, Exclamation	The children say they can’t stay any longer.
21	The wild white horses foam and fret.”	Metaphor, Imagery	The waves are rough and restless.
22	Margaret! Margaret!	Repetition, Apostrophe	They call her name again.
23	Come, dear children, come away down;	Apostrophe, Imperative mood	He tells the children to come with him.
24	Call no more!	Imperative mood, Exclamation	He tells them to stop calling her.
25	One last look at the white-wall’d town	Imagery, Enjambment	They take a final look at the town.
26	And the little grey church on the windy shore,	Imagery, Alliteration	They see the small church by the shore.
27	Then come down!	Imperative mood, Exclamation	He tells them to come back to the sea.
28	She will not come though you call all day;	Assumption, Enjambment	He says she won’t return no matter how long they call.
29	Come away, come away!	Repetition, Exclamation	He urges them to leave.
30	Children dear, was it yesterday	Apostrophe, Rhetorical question	He asks if it was just yesterday.
31	We heard the sweet bells over the bay?	Imagery, Rhetorical question	They heard the church bells ringing.
32	In the caverns where we lay,	Imagery, Enjambment	They were resting in the sea caves.
33	Through the surf and through the swell,	Imagery, Repetition	The sound of the bells traveled through the waves.
34	The far-off sound of a silver bell?	Imagery, Rhetorical question	They heard a distant bell ringing.
35	Sand-strewn caverns, cool and deep,	Imagery, Alliteration	The caves are sandy and peaceful.
36	Where the winds are all asleep;	Personification, Imagery	The winds are calm and quiet.
37	Where the spent lights quiver and gleam,	Imagery, Alliteration	The faint lights shimmer in the water.
38	Where the salt weed sways in the stream,	Imagery, Alliteration	The seaweed moves gently in the water.
39	Where the sea-beasts, ranged all round,	Imagery, Enjambment	Sea creatures are all around them.
40	Feed in the ooze of their pasture-ground;	Imagery, Alliteration	The creatures feed in the muddy seabed.
41	Where the sea-snakes coil and twine,	Imagery, Alliteration	Sea snakes twist and curl in the water.
42	Dry their mail and bask in the brine;	Imagery, Alliteration	The snakes dry their scales in the salty water.
43	Where great whales come sailing by,	Imagery, Enjambment	Whales swim past them.
44	Sail and sail, with unshut eye,	Repetition, Imagery	The whales keep swimming, always alert.
45	Round the world for ever and aye?	Hyperbole, Rhetorical question	The whales travel endlessly around the world.
46	When did music come this way?	Rhetorical question, Imagery	He wonders when they last heard music like this.
47	Children dear, was it yesterday	Apostrophe, Rhetorical question	He asks if it was just yesterday.
48	(Call yet once) that she went away?	Parenthesis, Rhetorical question	He asks if it was yesterday that Margaret left.
49	Once she sate with you and me,	Imagery, Enjambment	She once sat with them in the sea.
50	On a red gold throne in the heart of the sea,	Imagery, Metaphor	She sat on a beautiful throne under the sea.
51	And the youngest sate on her knee.	Imagery, Enjambment	The youngest child sat on her lap.
52	She comb’d its bright hair, and she tended it well,	Imagery, Alliteration	She cared for the child lovingly.
53	When down swung the sound of a far-off bell.	Imagery, Onomatopoeia	The sound of a distant bell interrupted them.
54	She sigh’d, she look’d up through the clear green sea;	Imagery, Alliteration	She sighed and looked toward the surface.
55	She said: “I must go, to my kinsfolk pray	Dialogue, Enjambment	She said she had to go pray with her family.
56	In the little grey church on the shore to-day.	Imagery, Alliteration	She wanted to go to the church on the shore.
57	‘T will be Easter-time in the world—ah me!	Exclamation, Imagery	It was Easter, and she felt torn.
58	And I lose my poor soul, Merman! here with thee.”	Apostrophe, Exclamation	She feared losing her soul by staying with the Merman.
59	I said: “Go up, dear heart, through the waves;	Dialogue, Imagery	He told her to go and pray.
60	Say thy prayer, and come back to the kind sea-caves!”	Imperative mood, Imagery	He asked her to return to the sea after praying.
61	She smiled, she went up through the surf in the bay.	Imagery, Alliteration	She smiled and left through the waves.
62	Children dear, was it yesterday?	Apostrophe, Rhetorical question	He asks if it was just yesterday.
63	Children dear, were we long alone?	Apostrophe, Rhetorical question	He asks if they were alone for long.
64	“The sea grows stormy, the little ones moan;	Imagery, Personification	The sea became rough, and the children cried.
65	Long prayers,” I said, “in the world they say;	Dialogue, Imagery	He said people on land pray for a long time.
66	Come!” I said; and we rose through the surf in the bay.	Imperative mood, Imagery	He told the children to follow him to the shore.
67	We went up the beach, by the sandy down	Imagery, Enjambment	They walked up the beach.
68	Where the sea-stocks bloom, to the white-wall’d town;	Imagery, Alliteration	They passed flowers and reached the town.
69	Through the narrow paved streets, where all was still,	Imagery, Alliteration	The streets were quiet and empty.
70	To the little grey church on the windy hill.	Imagery, Alliteration	They went to the church on the hill.
71	From the church came a murmur of folk at their prayers,	Imagery, Alliteration	They heard people praying inside.
72	But we stood without in the cold blowing airs.	Imagery, Contrast	They stayed outside in the cold wind.
73	We climb’d on the graves, on the stones worn with rains,	Imagery, Alliteration	They stood on old, rain-worn graves.
74	And we gazed up the aisle through the small leaded panes.	Imagery, Alliteration	They looked into the church through the windows.
75	She sate by the pillar; we saw her clear:	Imagery, Enjambment	They saw Margaret sitting inside.
76	“Margaret, hist! come quick, we are here!	Dialogue, Exclamation	He whispered for her to come to them.
77	Dear heart,” I said, “we are long alone;	Dialogue, Apostrophe	He told her they had been alone for too long.
78	The sea grows stormy, the little ones moan.”	Imagery, Personification	The sea was rough, and the children were upset.
79	But, ah, she gave me never a look,	Exclamation, Imagery	She didn’t look at them.
80	For her eyes were seal’d to the holy book!	Metaphor, Imagery	She was focused on her prayers.
81	Loud prays the priest; shut stands the door.	Imagery, Alliteration	The priest prayed loudly, and the door was closed.
82	Come away, children, call no more!	Imperative mood, Exclamation	He told the children to leave and stop calling her.
83	Come away, come down, call no more!	Repetition, Exclamation	He repeated his call for them to leave.
84	Down, down, down!	Repetition, Exclamation	He urged them to go deep into the sea.
85	Down to the depths of the sea!	Imagery, Exclamation	They returned to the deep sea.
86	She sits at her wheel in the humming town,	Imagery, Alliteration	Margaret is back in town, spinning and singing.
87	Singing most joyfully.	Imagery, Adverb	She sings happily.
88	Hark what she sings: “O joy, O joy,	Dialogue, Repetition	She sings about her joy.
89	For the humming street, and the child with its toy!	Imagery, Exclamation	She’s happy with the lively town and children.
90	For the priest, and the bell, and the holy well;	Imagery, Repetition	She’s happy with the church and its traditions.
91	For the wheel where I spun,	Imagery, Enjambment	She’s happy with her spinning wheel.
92	And the blessed light of the sun!”	Imagery, Exclamation	She’s grateful for the sunlight.
93	And so she sings her fill,	Imagery, Enjambment	She sings as much as she wants.
94	Singing most joyfully,	Repetition, Adverb	She continues to sing happily.
95	Till the spindle drops from her hand,	Imagery, Enjambment	She stops spinning and singing.
96	And the whizzing wheel stands still.	Imagery, Onomatopoeia	Her spinning wheel stops moving.
97	She steals to the window, and looks at the sand,	Imagery, Alliteration	She quietly looks out at the beach.
98	And over the sand at the sea;	Imagery, Enjambment	She gazes at the sea.
99	And her eyes are set in a stare;	Imagery, Enjambment	She stares blankly.
100	And anon there breaks a sigh,	Imagery, Alliteration	She sighs deeply.
101	And anon there drops a tear,	Imagery, Repetition	She starts to cry.
102	From a sorrow-clouded eye,	Metaphor, Imagery	Her eyes are filled with sadness.
103	And a heart sorrow-laden,	Imagery, Hyphenation	Her heart is heavy with sorrow.
104	A long, long sigh;	Repetition, Imagery	She sighs deeply again.
105	For the cold strange eyes of a little Mermaiden	Imagery, Alliteration	She remembers the Merman’s child.
106	And the gleam of her golden hair.	Imagery, Alliteration	She remembers the child’s golden hair.
107	Come away, away children	Imperative mood, Repetition	The Merman calls the children to leave.
108	Come children, come down!	Imperative mood, Repetition	He repeats his call for them to return to the sea.
109	The hoarse wind blows coldly;	Imagery, Personification	The wind is harsh and cold.
110	Lights shine in the town.	Imagery, Enjambment	The town is lit up.
111	She will start from her slumber	Imagery, Personification	Margaret will wake up from her sleep.
112	When gusts shake the door;	Imagery, Personification	The wind will shake the door and wake her.
113	She will hear the winds howling,	Imagery, Personification	She will hear the wind howling.
114	Will hear the waves roar.	Imagery, Personification	She will hear the waves crashing.
115	We shall see, while above us	Imagery, Enjambment	They will watch from below the waves.
116	The waves roar and whirl,	Imagery, Alliteration	The waves will be loud and chaotic.
117	A ceiling of amber,	Metaphor, Imagery	The sea will look like a golden ceiling.
118	A pavement of pearl.	Metaphor, Imagery	The seafloor will look like a pearl pavement.
119	Singing: “Here came a mortal,	Dialogue, Enjambment	They will sing about Margaret’s betrayal.
120	But faithless was she!	Exclamation, Imagery	They will call her unfaithful.
121	And alone dwell for ever	Imagery, Enjambment	They will live alone forever.
122	The kings of the sea.”	Metaphor, Imagery	They are the rulers of the sea.
123	But, children, at midnight,	Apostrophe, Imagery	He tells the children they will return at midnight.
124	When soft the winds blow,	Imagery, Personification	The winds will be gentle.
125	When clear falls the moonlight,	Imagery, Personification	The moonlight will be bright.
126	When spring-tides are low;	Imagery, Enjambment	The tides will be calm.
127	When sweet airs come seaward	Imagery, Personification	The air will smell sweet.
128	From heaths starr’d with broom,	Imagery, Alliteration	The heaths will be covered in flowers.
129	And high rocks throw mildly	Imagery, Personification	The rocks will cast soft shadows.
130	On the blanch’d sands a gloom;	Imagery, Alliteration	The sand will look pale and shadowy.
131	Up the still, glistening beaches,	Imagery, Alliteration	They will walk up the quiet, shiny beaches.
132	Up the creeks we will hie,	Imagery, Archaic language	They will hurry up the creeks.
133	Over banks of bright seaweed	Imagery, Alliteration	They will pass bright seaweed.
134	The ebb-tide leaves dry.	Imagery, Personification	The tide will leave the seaweed dry.
135	We will gaze, from the sand-hills,	Imagery, Enjambment	They will look at the town from the sand dunes.
136	At the white, sleeping town;	Imagery, Personification	The town will be quiet and asleep.
137	At the church on the hill-side—	Imagery, Dash	They will look at the church on the hill.
138	And then come back down.	Imperative mood, Enjambment	They will return to the sea.
139	Singing: “There dwells a loved one,	Dialogue, Enjambment	They will sing about Margaret.
140	But cruel is she!	Exclamation, Imagery	They will call her cruel.
141	She left lonely for ever	Imagery, Enjambment	She left them alone forever.
142	The kings of the sea.”	Metaphor, Imagery	They are the rulers of the sea, abandoned by her.

Literary And Poetic Devices: “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Literary Device	Example from the Poem	Explanation
Alliteration	“The wild white horses play”	Repetition of the ‘w’ sound creates a musical effect.
Allusion	“‘T will be Easter-time in the world”	Reference to the Christian celebration of Easter, indicating Margaret’s religious conflict.
Anaphora	“Children dear, was it yesterday”	Repetition of a phrase at the beginning of successive lines emphasizes nostalgia.
Assonance	“Through the surf and through the swell”	Repetition of vowel sounds, creating a flowing, melodic quality.
Caesura	“She sighed, she looked up through the clear green sea;”	A pause within a line, breaking its rhythm to highlight Margaret’s hesitation.
Contrast	“She smiled, she went up through the surf in the bay.”	Margaret’s departure contrasts with her past happiness in the sea.
Dialogue	“Margaret, hist! come quick, we are here!”	Margaret’s lack of response contrasts with the desperate call of the merman and children.
Direct Address	“Come, dear children, let us away”	The merman directly addresses his children, making his plea more personal.
Dramatic Irony	“For her eyes were seal’d to the holy book!”	The audience knows Margaret will not return, while the children hope she will.
Enjambment	“Down, down, down!”	Lines continue without pause, creating a sense of movement and urgency.
Epistrophe	“Come away, come away!”	Repetition of phrases at the end of successive lines enhances rhythm and sorrow.
Hyperbole	“She will not come though you call all day”	An extreme statement emphasizing that Margaret will never return.
Imagery	“Sand-strewn caverns, cool and deep”	Vivid descriptions appeal to the senses, enhancing the setting’s beauty.
Irony	“For the cold strange eyes of a little Mermaiden”	The merman’s family is abandoned, yet Margaret still mourns them, making her joy ironic.
Metaphor	“A ceiling of amber, a pavement of pearl”	Describing the underwater world as a palace gives it a magical, mythical quality.
Onomatopoeia	“Champ and chafe and toss in the spray”	Words that imitate the sound of waves crashing reinforce the oceanic setting.
Parallelism	“Up the still, glistening beaches, Up the creeks we will hie”	Repetition of similar sentence structures adds rhythm and flow.
Personification	“Now my brothers call from the bay”	The sea is personified as calling and reacting emotionally.
Repetition	“Margaret! Margaret!”	Repetition of names and phrases intensifies emotions and urgency.
Symbolism	“The white-wall’d town and the little grey church”	The town and church symbolize the human world and its constraints on freedom.

Themes: “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Conflict Between Nature and Civilization
“The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold explores the tension between the unrestrained beauty of nature and the rigid structure of human civilization. The merman’s underwater world is depicted as a place of peace and harmony: “Sand-strewn caverns, cool and deep, / Where the winds are all asleep.” In contrast, the human world, symbolized by “the white-wall’d town and the little grey church on the windy shore”, represents duty, restriction, and societal expectations. Margaret, once a part of the free-flowing sea life, ultimately chooses the disciplined human world, abandoning her husband and children. Her choice highlights how civilization, often perceived as morally superior, can demand sacrifices that suppress natural emotions and familial bonds. The poem suggests that human institutions, such as religion and social order, impose obligations that conflict with personal happiness, leading to sorrow and loss.

Love and Abandonment
“The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold presents a deeply emotional portrayal of love and abandonment. The merman’s love for Margaret is strong, and together they have built a family beneath the sea. However, when she hears the distant bells—“When down swung the sound of a far-off bell”—Margaret feels compelled to return to her human life, torn between love and duty. Her departure is especially devastating for the children, who cry out in pain: “Children’s voices, wild with pain— / Surely she will come again!” Their repeated pleas—“Margaret! Margaret!”—emphasize their desperation and heartbreak. However, despite her joyful singing in the human world—“Singing most joyfully”—she is not free from sorrow: “And anon there drops a tear, / From a sorrow-clouded eye.” The poem conveys the painful reality that duty often takes precedence over love, leaving those forsaken to suffer in silence.
Religious Devotion vs. Human Relationships

“The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold highlights the conflict between religious devotion and personal relationships. Margaret’s choice to leave her family is driven by her fear of losing her soul: “’T will be Easter-time in the world—ah me! / And I lose my poor soul, Merman! here with thee.” This statement reveals her internal struggle, where religious guilt overrides her love for her husband and children. The church, represented by “the little grey church on the windy shore”, stands in opposition to the boundless freedom of the sea, symbolizing the strict doctrines that dictate human behavior. The poem critiques how religion can demand sacrifices that lead to emotional suffering. Margaret’s ultimate decision to stay in the human world, despite her lingering sorrow, reflects the powerful influence of religious and societal expectations, which often force individuals to suppress their deepest affections in pursuit of spiritual salvation.
The Power of Memory and Longing
“The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold emphasizes the enduring nature of memory and longing. Throughout the poem, the merman reminisces about the past, mourning the life he once shared with Margaret. His words reflect deep nostalgia and sorrow: “Children dear, was it yesterday / We heard the sweet bells over the bay?” The repetition of “was it yesterday” suggests that time has become meaningless in the face of loss. Even Margaret, despite her apparent happiness, is haunted by the past. She “steals to the window, and looks at the sand, / And over the sand at the sea”, showing that she still longs for the world she abandoned. This lingering sadness highlights that love and emotional bonds cannot be easily forgotten, reinforcing the idea that separation does not bring peace but rather an everlasting sense of loss.

Literary Theories and “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Literary Theory	Application to “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold
Feminist Criticism	Examines Margaret’s role as a woman torn between societal expectations and personal desires. She chooses religious and social duty over love, reflecting patriarchal pressures. The line “And I lose my poor soul, Merman! here with thee.” suggests she believes her relationship with the merman is sinful, reinforcing gendered expectations of virtue.
Psychoanalytic Criticism	Analyzes the psychological turmoil of both Margaret and the merman. Margaret’s internal conflict is evident when she says, “‘T will be Easter-time in the world—ah me!” Her religious guilt causes repression of her desires, leading to unresolved sorrow. The merman and children’s repeated calls—“Margaret! Margaret!”—reveal abandonment trauma and longing.
Marxist Criticism	Interprets the poem through the lens of class and power structures. Margaret’s decision to leave the sea suggests she chooses structured human civilization over the natural, free existence of the merman’s world. The “white-wall’d town and the little grey church” symbolize authority and hierarchy, while the sea represents a liberated, communal existence.
New Historicism	Places the poem in the context of Victorian religious and social norms. During Arnold’s time, strict moral codes governed behavior, and religion played a dominant role in shaping identity. Margaret’s departure reflects the cultural emphasis on salvation and moral duty, reinforcing societal norms about women’s roles and the sacredness of human institutions like the church.

Critical Questions about “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

How does “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold portray the conflict between human duty and personal happiness?
“The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold presents a stark conflict between human obligations and individual desires, particularly through the character of Margaret. She initially embraces life under the sea with the merman and their children, but upon hearing the church bells, she feels compelled to return to her religious duties: “’T will be Easter-time in the world—ah me! / And I lose my poor soul, Merman! here with thee.” Her words suggest that she sees her love and life beneath the waves as incompatible with her spiritual salvation. Arnold contrasts the natural, joyful, and communal world of the merman with the rigid, duty-driven human society, symbolized by “the little grey church on the windy shore.” The merman and children, abandoned and calling out for Margaret—“Margaret! Margaret!”—represent the personal joys she sacrifices for a life dictated by external religious and social expectations. The poem questions whether duty, when imposed by society or faith, should take precedence over personal happiness and love.
How does “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold use nature as a symbol of freedom and loss?

“The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold uses nature to symbolize both freedom and sorrow, emphasizing the contrast between the boundless sea and the structured human world. The underwater realm is depicted as a place of fluidity and peace, with descriptions such as “Sand-strewn caverns, cool and deep, / Where the winds are all asleep.” The imagery of an unrestricted and organic existence contrasts with the land, where Margaret is constrained by religious and social duties. However, nature is also a source of loss, as it becomes the silent witness to Margaret’s absence. The sea, once a place of unity, now separates the merman and his children from their mother. The recurring motif of the restless ocean—“The wild white horses foam and fret.”—reflects the turmoil and grief of the forsaken family. Arnold uses nature both as a symbol of the freedom Margaret once embraced and as a force that now accentuates the pain of her departure.
What role does memory play in “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold, and how does it shape the characters’ emotions?
“The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold revolves around memory as a powerful force that deepens the emotional suffering of the merman and his children. The poem is structured around the merman’s recollection of past happiness, as he repeatedly questions the passage of time: “Children dear, was it yesterday / We heard the sweet bells over the bay?” This rhetorical question reveals the way grief distorts time, making the past feel painfully present. Margaret, too, is haunted by memory despite choosing the human world. She “steals to the window, and looks at the sand, / And over the sand at the sea,” showing that she is unable to fully detach herself from her past life. While the merman and his children actively long for her return, Margaret passively mourns what she has lost, illustrating the way memory lingers, shaping emotions long after choices have been made. The poem suggests that neither the forsaken nor the one who leaves can ever truly escape the weight of remembrance.
How does “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold critique religious and social expectations?
“The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold presents a critique of the way religious and societal expectations impose sacrifices on individuals, particularly women. Margaret’s decision to leave her family is not motivated by a lack of love but by religious guilt: “And I lose my poor soul, Merman! here with thee.” Her words reflect a belief that she must conform to human religious norms to attain salvation. Arnold contrasts the warmth and vibrancy of the merman’s world with the cold, emotionless world of human devotion, where Margaret is depicted sitting in the church, unresponsive to the cries of her children: “For her eyes were seal’d to the holy book!” This moment highlights the rigidity of religious expectations, which demand unwavering devotion at the cost of personal bonds. By showing Margaret’s silent suffering—“And anon there drops a tear, / From a sorrow-clouded eye”—Arnold questions whether faith should require such painful sacrifices. The poem subtly critiques the societal pressure that forces individuals, particularly women, to prioritize religious duty over love and family.

Literary Works Similar to “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

“La Belle Dame sans Merci” by John Keats – Similar to “The Forsaken Merman”, this poem explores love and abandonment, as a knight is left desolate after being enchanted and forsaken by a mysterious woman.
“The Lady of Shalott” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson – Like Margaret in “The Forsaken Merman”, the Lady of Shalott is drawn away from her secluded world due to an external call (Sir Lancelot) and faces tragic consequences.
“Dover Beach” by Matthew Arnold – This poem shares “The Forsaken Merman”’s themes of loss, changing faith, and the conflict between human emotion and societal expectations.
“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge – Both poems use the sea as a central symbol and explore themes of separation, suffering, and longing for redemption.
“Locksley Hall” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson – Like “The Forsaken Merman”, this poem reflects on lost love and unfulfilled longing, as the speaker mourns a love that was lost to societal expectations.

Representative Quotations of “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspective
“Come, dear children, let us away; Down and away below!”	The merman calls his children to leave the shore and return to the sea, emphasizing urgency and loss.	Psychoanalytic Criticism – The merman’s plea reflects suppressed grief and the struggle to let go.
“Margaret! Margaret!”	The children desperately call for their mother, highlighting abandonment and longing.	Psychoanalytic Criticism – The repeated name represents the children’s trauma and emotional distress.
“She will not come though you call all day; Come away, come away!”	The merman acknowledges that Margaret will not return and urges the children to move on.	Existentialism – The poem acknowledges human suffering and the necessity of moving forward despite loss.
“Children dear, was it yesterday We heard the sweet bells over the bay?”	The merman reminisces about the past, showing how memory distorts time in grief.	Memory Studies – The merman’s nostalgia reflects how memory blurs time and deepens sorrow.
“She sighed, she looked up through the clear green sea; She said: ‘I must go, to my kinsfolk pray.’”	Margaret struggles with her decision, torn between love and religious duty.	Feminist Criticism – Margaret’s internal conflict shows how societal norms force women to choose duty over love.
“For her eyes were seal’d to the holy book!”	Margaret ignores the cries of her children, prioritizing her faith over family.	Religious Criticism – Margaret’s devotion to the ‘holy book’ symbolizes religious constraints overriding personal bonds.
“She sits at her wheel in the humming town, Singing most joyfully.”	Margaret appears happy in her human life, but this happiness is later revealed to be superficial.	Marxist Criticism – Margaret conforms to structured society, leaving behind the freedom of the sea.
“And anon there drops a tear, From a sorrow-clouded eye.”	Despite choosing the human world, Margaret mourns her lost family, showing unresolved sorrow.	Psychoanalytic Criticism – Margaret’s silent tears suggest unconscious guilt and unresolved grief.
“We will gaze, from the sand-hills, At the white, sleeping town; At the church on the hill-side— And then come back down.”	The merman and his children return to the shore to remember Margaret, emphasizing their enduring pain.	New Historicism – The return to the shore signifies a ritual of remembrance shaped by cultural and emotional loss.
“She left lonely for ever The kings of the sea.”	The final lines solidify Margaret’s ultimate betrayal of her past life, leaving her family permanently forsaken.	Postcolonial Criticism – Margaret’s abandonment can symbolize the destruction of indigenous or alternative ways of life by dominant cultural forces.

“The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Text: “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Annotations: “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Literary And Poetic Devices: “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Themes: “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Literary Theories and “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Critical Questions about “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Literary Works Similar to “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Representative Quotations of “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Suggested Readings: “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

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Introduction: “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Text: “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Annotations: “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Literary And Poetic Devices: “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Themes: “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Literary Theories and “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Critical Questions about “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Literary Works Similar to “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Representative Quotations of “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

Suggested Readings: “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

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