The Poem Dover Beach: Summary, Analysis and Themes
Summary and Themes of the poem Dover Beach, “Dover Beach” questions humankind’s relationship with nature. Instead of finding happiness or the sublime
The Poem Dover Beach: Summary, Analysis and Themes
Introduction "Dover Beach" is the most celebrated poem by Matthew Arnold, a writer and educator of the Victorian era. The poem expresses a crisis of faith, with the speaker acknowledging the diminished standing of Christianity, which the speaker sees as being unable to withstand the rising tide of scientific discovery. Summary of the Poem - Dover Beach The speaker looks out upon a calm sea and observes the fullness of the tide and the moon reflecting on the water. Looking across the English channel, the speaker sees the lights of the French coast fade away, while the cliffs of the English coast stand tall and bright, and the bay seems calm. Suddenly, the speaker addresses someone else and implores this person to come and look at what the speaker is looking at and to enjoy the night's pleasant air. The speaker senses something is not quite right and describes the spray where the water meets the moonlit land. The speaker instructs the other person to listen to the sound of t…
