Dover Beach

Poetry | Matthew Arnold
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What is the poem “Dover Beach” about? 

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What is the poem Dover Beach about Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold - is a sad and thoughtful poem It talks about the loss of faith in the modern world The poet looks at the sea and thinks about how life has changed People no longer believe in religion and truth as they did before He feels very lonely and upset about the world Sea and Sadness The poem starts with a beautiful description of the sea The poet says The sea is calm tonight The moon is shining the waves are moving slowly and the air is sweet But this peaceful scene is broken by the grating roar of pebbles The pebbles are being taken back and forth by the waves The poet thinks it creates a sad sound He feels sorrow and thinks this sorrow is always present in the world Sadness in Human Life Arnold remembers the

Greek writer Sophocles who also heard this sad sound long ago It reminded him of human suffering Arnold says that people still feel the same sadness even today The sea becomes a symbol of human pain and loss Loss of Faith The poet talks about the Sea of Faith He says The Sea of Faith Was once too at the full The sea of faith was once full but now it is not the same This means that in the past people had strong faith in God and religion But now people have lost their faith and they are in darkness There is no hope no joy and no peace The Poet s Hope in Love Even though the world is full of pain the poet asks his beloved to be true to each other He says love is the only thing that can give meaning in a dark and hopeless world In fine Dover Beach is a poem about faith sadness and love It shows how modern life feels empty but true love can still give comfort

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Matthew Arnold
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