Free Essays: There is No Certainty in Dover Beach :: Arnold Dover Beach Essays

There is No Certainty in Dover Beach    How can life or anything be so wonderful, but at times seem so unbearable? This is a question that Matthew Arnold may have asked himself one day, while piece Dover Beach. This is a poem about a sea and a beach that is truly beautiful, but hold much deeper meaning than what meets the eye. The poem is pen in free verse with no particular meter or rhyme scheme, although some of the words do rhyme. Arnold is the speaker speaking to someone he loves. As the poem progresses, the reader sees why Arnold poses the question stated above, and why life seems to be the way it is. During the first part of the poem Arnold states, The Sea is equanimity tonight and in line 7, Only, from the long line of spray. In this way, Arnold is setting the mood or scene so the reader can run across the point he is trying to portray. In lines 1-6 he is talking about a very peaceful night on the ever so chill out sea, with the moon frail shining so intensely on the land. Then he states how the moonlight gleams and is gone because the cliffs of England are standing at their highest peaks, which are blocking the light of the moon. Next, the waves come roaring into the picture, as they draw back and fling the pebbles onto the shore and back out to sea again. Arnold also abide bys that the shore brings the eternal note of mourning in, maybe representing the cycles of life and repetition. Arnold then starts describing the history of Sophocles idea of the Aegeans turbid ebb and flow. The sea is starting to become rougher and all agitated. Also the mention of human misery implies that life begins and ends, but it can still be full of happiness, and unfortunately, at the same time, sadness. The Sea of Faith was once, too, at the full, and round earths shore. The account word in that stanza is once, because it implies that he (Arnold) used to look at the sea in a different way than he does now. Throughout the whole poem, Arnold uses a ficti on to describe his views and opinions. Now he only hears its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar. It seems as though Arnold is questioning his own faith. The whole poem is based on a metaphor - Sea to Faith.