They act without knowing and this action without knowledge is dangerous. The use of the word darkling is typical of this age which was grappling with the realities of a bleak world. One may read the lines as an allusion to an instance on the account of Peloponnesian War by Thucydides which describes how the Athenian army fought on a beach at night darkling plain during the invasion of Sicily.
Confided by the darkness and the utter chaos which surrounded them, the army ended up killing each other. The world has become a darkling plain where confusion and violence abounds, threatening the decimation of one and all. And this time, there is no escape to faith.
Widely regarded as the representative Victorian critic, Matthew Arnold was born on Christmas eve of in Laleham, Middlesex. His father was the headmaster of Rugby School and Arnold was encouraged to read extensively from a very early age. Arnold later went to Oxford to study the classics. While at Oxford, he won the prestigious Newdigate Prize for his poem Cromwell.
Arnold worked as an Inspector of Schools for a considerable period of time which allowed him to travel across the continent. He devoured much of English, French and German literature, familiarizing himself with the Eastern and Western systems of thought.
To Arnold must be credited the prime position of being the representative social and literary critic of the Victorian age. He was intensely engaged with the questions and moral dilemmas Victorian England had been grappling with. The themes of Science and Religion, Faith and Doubt and the role of Culture in providing a sense of stability in times of chaos finds its resonance in most of his works, including his poetry.
Your email address will not be published. Got No Time? Check out this Quick Revision by Litbug. Related Articles. September 2, August 21, Stanza three introduces the idea of religion into the equation. Faith is at low tide, on its way out, where once it had been full. Christianity can no longer wash away the sins of humanity; it is on the retreat. Matthew Arnold was well aware of the profound changes at work in western society. He knew that the old establishments were beginning to crumble - people were losing their faith in God as the advancements in technology and science and evolution encroached.
This vacuum needed to be filled and the speaker in stanza four suggests that only strong personal love between individuals can withstand the negative forces in the world. Staying true to each other can bring meaning to an otherwise confused and confusing world. It's as if the speaker is looking into the future, with regard for the past, declaring love for a special companion or love for all humanity? Wars may rage on, the evolutionary struggle continue, only the foundation of truth within love can guarantee solace.
Dover Beach is split into 4 stanzas of varying length, making a total of 37 lines. The first stanza is a mixed up sonnet with a rhyme scheme abacebecdfcgfg, a sure signal of a break with convention. Perhaps Arnold had intended to only write a sonnet but found the subject matter demanded a longer form. The second stanza of 6 lines also has end rhymes, as does the third stanza, and the fourth stanza of 9 lines concludes with a repeat of the initial end rhymes.
When that rhyme is varied, as in Dover Beach, more interest is generated for the reader and listener. Line length, enjambment and internal rhyme also help to add spice. The third stanza, with figurative language, contains a fascinating word mix, the consonants f, d and l being prominent, whilst assonance plays it role:. Combinations such as bright girdle furled and naked shingles of the world add to the liquid feel of the scene.
Sw e pt with c o nfused a larms of str u ggle and fl i ght,. Arnold sees life ahead as a continual battle against the darkness and, with the decay of Christianity and the demise of faith, only the beacon of interpersonal love can light the way. Dover Beach is a poem that offers the reader different perspectives on life, love and landscape.
Arnold chose to use first, second and third person point of view in order to fully engage with the reader. And we are here as on a darkling plain Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, Where ignorant armies clash by night.
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
A Reading — Reading of the poem by actor Tom Hiddlestone. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of every Shakespeare play. Central Idea - In this poem Dover Beach Poem , Arnold expresses his grief and lament for the rapid and inevitable decline in religious faith in the mids.
Arnold mourns a society that has lost its cultural, moral and spiritual significance, giving rise to cruelty, deception, uncertainty, and hopelessness. What does Arnold mean? From a Germanic name meaning "eagle power", derived from the elements arn "eagle" and wald "power".
It died out as an English name after the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century. What is the conflict in Dover Beach? The poem is about how there is a conflict between religion and science and how the world is losing faith in God and how the only things that can fill the void that faith once filled is loyalty, comfort, and love. What does Dover mean? Strait of. What is the tone of Dover Beach poem?
At this early moment this is as yet nothing but a statement, waiting for the rest of the work to give it meaning. What does Arnold mean by the sea of faith? The Sea of Faith movement is so called as the name is taken from this poem, as the poet expresses regret that belief in a supernatural world is slowly slipping away; the "sea of faith" is withdrawing like the ebbing tide.
Who is the speaker talking to in Dover Beach?
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