DOVER BEACH - MATTHEW ARNOLD- BASIC ENGLISH NOTES - SEMESTER II - SUMMARY

 

DOVER BEACH SUMMARY

MATTHEW ARNOLD

 

The poet watches out upon a calm sea, and notices the completion of the tide and the moon reflecting on the water. Looking across the English Channel, the poet sees the lights of the French coast disappear, while the Cliffs of the English coast stand tall and brilliant, and the bay appears to be quiet. Abruptly, the poet tends to another person, and asks to come and take a gander at what the poet is taking a gander at, and to appreciate the night's lovely air. The poet detects something isn't exactly correct, and depicts the splash where the water meets the twilight land. The poet trains the other individual to pay attention to the sound of the stones (pebbles) as the waves shift them to and fro, up the sea shore and down once more. The poet notes this slow activity, and distinguishes it with eternal sadness.

 

Out of nowhere, the poet contemplates the antiquated Greek dramatist, Sophocles, and envisions Sophocles hearing a similar sadness in the Aegean Sea as the poet hears now on the English coast. Sophocles, in the mind of the poet, compares the sad sound of the waves to the overall distress of humankind, which moves like the waves. The poet then, at that point sees another thought that accompanies the sound of the sea.

 

Clarifying this next thought, the poet portrays religious faith as a sea that was once full like the tide. Around then, it stretched around the earth like a support. Presently, however, the poet simply hears that sea's sad retreat. As the Sea of Faith decreases, says the poet, it vanishes into the climate and leaves the edges of the world exposed.

 

The poet unexpectedly addresses the partner as love and states frantically that both of them need to treat each other with honesty and validness. This is on the grounds that the world, however it has a fantasy like quality of variety, magnificence and originality, doesn't really offer satisfaction, love or clearness. Not one or the other, claims the poet, would it be able to give assurance, harmony, peace, or relief from pain. The poet then, at that point looks at their aggregate circumstance to remaining on a level and dark piece of land, which is up to speed in the disorder of battling. Here, fights between accidental gatherings proceed under the front of obscurity.