Analysis of Dover Beach free essay sample

Reflection on â€Å"Dover Beach† Human interpretation and comprehension of faith and religion have undergone constant change over the course of time. I feel that â€Å"Dover Beach† was written as an elegy to convey the author’s, Matthew Arnold, somber feelings regarding how man’s abandonment of the doctrine of religion, with the help of Victorianism and the Industrial Revolution, is only a vain act against an all-powerful nature. Arnold’s overall theme of how religion and faith should remain in humanity and ignoring it will only result in the uncertainty and vulnerability of modern man is keenly expressed throughout the poem with his skilled use of onomatopoeia, anaphora, and the content he chose to write about. Through knowing the particular historical context of the Victorian era and significant changes the Industrial Revolution wrought, this can help us better comprehend and appreciate the writing of the poem â€Å"Dover Beach†. When this poem was being written in 1851, Arnold undoubtedly perceived many people who were once filled with faith in God and regularly exercised their religious beliefs shift their focus to work and industry. We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis of Dover Beach or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Furthermore, great minds such as Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck began to change the mindset of the populace and their entire belief system. I feel that the content Arnold decided to write about aids the reader in understanding that â€Å"Dover Beach† is a reflection of the changes he sees in his world due to industrialism, science, and a rationalism that opposes his traditional religious belief. Throughout the poem it â€Å"engages with religious issues, specifically the place of revealed religion in a culture that was becoming increasingly inimical if not hostile to it† (Clausson, 2008. Pg. 282). To further draw the reader into his emotional outpour, the speaker implores the reader to listen to the sounds of his faith slowly retreating. â€Å"Dover Beach† is structured around the speaker’s response to sound: it is what the speaker hears rather than what he sees that becomes the focal point of his attention and prompts his thoughts (Clausson, 2008. Pg. 286). Matthew Arnold’s choice to use onomatopoeia to aurally represent the actions occurring on the beach signifies an internal turmoil churning within his soul as the speaker regards the recession of the Sea of Faith ith its â€Å"melancholy, long, withdrawing roar† (Clugston, 2010 Line 25). The most significant use of onomatopoeia was when the speaker says â€Å"listen! you hear the grating roar of pebbles which the waves draw back and fling at their return† (Clugston, 2010 Line 9-11). My interpretation of this grating roar is this first introduces what we superficially see as conflict betwee n the sea and the land but symbolizes the clash between long-held religious beliefs and the challenges against them. Anaphora was skillfully used to intensify the speaker’s emotions regarding his feelings toward his love and the land of dreams that they faced. He knew that they must remain true to one another because the world has become a miserable, materialistic battlefield where there is hatred, pain, and no guiding light of faith. These two anaphors capture the reader’s attention and present argumentative statements to the reader. Some people may see a beautiful land of dreams, yet the speaker views this as an empty and turbid reality. Matthew Arnold’s theme that religion and faith are an integral part of human nature and disregarding them will only result in the uncertainty and vulnerability of modern man is unmistakably illustrated with his clever use of onomatopoeia, anaphora, and the content he chose to write about throughout the poem â€Å"Dover Beach†. The Victorian Age and Industrial Revolution were catalysts in the decline of faith and religion to many people at that time however, without these events, Arnold would not have felt compelled to write such an emotionally inspiring poem. References https://content. ashford. edu/books