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How does one cope with feelings of uncertainty as the world around one loses faith? In his poem “Dover Beach,” Matthew Arnold explores the sentiment of humanity losing faith, and in times of uncertainty, turning instead to a loved one for trust and support. As new scientific discoveries came about in the late 1800s that contradicted aspects of religion, people began turning their backs on it and instead following these new scientific discoveries. Thus, in the poem, the speaker expresses his feelings of sadness and uncertainty as the world around him changes. However, the speaker instead finds hope in his love. Thus, by using diction, imagery, and figurative language, Arnold demonstrates that although the world may be losing its faith in religion, one can still find certainty and faith in other people.
The first stanza of “Dover Beach” gives the reader a feeling of gentle serenity and peace as the speaker describes the scenery of the beach. Throughout the stanza, Arnold uses words such as “calm” (line 1) and “tranquil” (line 6) when describing the sea and bay. These words give the reader a sense of serenity in this portion of the poem. Arnold also connotes the beauty of the sea when he describes it as “glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay” (line 5), further demonstrating the feeling of peace at Dover Beach. However, towards the end of the stanza, the tone shifts slightly to a sadder, more melancholy tone as the speaker describes the rhythm of the waves rolling in as having a “tremulous cadence slow” (line 13). The word “tremulous,” in this line denotes a gentle shaking, but it can also instill a feeling of unease or nervousness, enhancing the shift in tone and building up to the final line in which the rhythm of the waves is figuratively bringing in the world’s “eternal note of sadness” (line 14). Throughout the first stanza, the waves of Dover Beach are personified as it “roar[s]” (line 9) and “fling[s]” the pebbles on the beach (line 10). Most significantly, though, is the personification of the waves “bring[ing] the eternal note of sadness in” (line 14) mentioned earlier, as though the waves are at fault for setting the melancholy tone.
In the second stanza, the imagery of the recurrent flow of the waves continues. In this stanza, the speaker states that:
Sophocles long ago
Heard it on the Ægean, and it brought
Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow
Of human misery; we
Find also in the sound a thought,
Hearing it by this distant northern sea (lines 15-20).
The speaker relates this flow back to the time of Sophocles, an ancient Greek writer and philosopher. He imagines that Sophocles interpreted the crashing waves of Aegean the same way he sees the waves of Dover Beach: incessant, slow and rhythmic, drawing in humanity’s sorrow. In this portion of the poem, Arnold chooses to describe the movement of the Aegean sea as “turbid” (line 17). Although the word turbid denotes murky or muddy waters, in the context of the poem, the word can be interpreted as the speaker’s feelings: confused and uncertain of the world around him. The speaker’s feelings of nervousness, as described in the first stanza, and his uncertainty demonstrated here are further enforced later on in the poem, when the speaker brings forth the metaphorical “Sea of Faith” (line 21). In this line, Arnold uses the vehicle of the sea to help the audience understand his view of the tenor, religion. Like the repeating crash of waves, the world’s faith in religion is also receding. This recession, caused by the burgeoning of scientific discoveries that reject traditional faith, strips the earth of its sheath, only leaving its “naked shingles” (line 28). In lines 31 through 34, the speaker explains to his love that although the world seems to be dreamlike and heavenly, it has “neither joy, nor love, nor light, nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain” (lines 31-34). Because of this, the speaker is left feeling nervous and uncertain of the new world around him, further enhancing his melancholy tone.
Despite all of this, the speaker still holds on to hope. Where his certainty and safety in religion has diminished, he finds new hope in his love. In the last stanza, the speaker proposes to his love to “be true to one another” (lines 29-30), extending his faith to her as a way to cope with the ever-changing world around him. This demonstrates that although the loss of religion in the world can make one feel hopeless and uncertain, one can still place faith in someone they care about and face the world together.
In his poem, Matthew Arnold expresses his concerns for the ever-changing world around him, and demonstrates his faith in loved ones to help him navigate this new world. Although “Dover Beach” was written in the late 1800s, the theme of relying on loved ones in times of uncertainty can still be applied in our current-day society. I especially relate to the sentiments of the poem because my life has been changing rapidly. In times of uncertainty and stress, I rely on my friends and family to guide and support me, even if they are miles apart from me. They are people I can put all my faith in. Therefore, I believe that Arnold’s poem is still relevant today and is still rightfully celebrated.
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