"Dover Beach"
Matthew Arnold
One idea dominates this poem: faith is gone and love is all that is left. However, the speaker's argument is organized like a formal essay more than a poem. The speaker makes an observation, validates the observation, proposes a hypothesis, then proposes a resolution.
The organization serves the poems meaning by expanding the scope affected by the observed misery. First, the speaker calls attention to something that can be seen literally. Dover is a real location and the calmness of the sea can be witnessed as well as the chaotic sounds that accompany the tranquil cliffs.
But to claim that deeper chaos accompanies beauty does not suffice. The speaker expands his theory to include Sophocles' experiences as well: "Sophocles long ago Heard it on the Aegean, and it brought Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow of human misery..." (Arnold, 892). Bringing up an ancient philosopher adds both credibility and urgency to the speaker's claim that the world is filled with suffering. One of the greatest minds of history agrees with him and this turbulent sound in the ocean has always been heard and can be heard all the way in Greece.
Now that the speaker has some credibility, he expands his claim to the metaphorical plane. Faith, to him, is not just a commodity, but a giant sea that surrounds the earth. Like the English Channel and Aegean, this sea is retreating turbulently. So, the speaker implores his lover to love him with intensity to combat the lack of faith. How could the lover decline? This poem was a compelling argument that relied on observations the audience could sense.
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