Conducting a critical literary analysis is an essential component of academic instruction. It allows one to become more familiar with the work of the poet under study and to apply theoretical skills to practice in order to identify the rhetorical techniques used. This essay involves a literary analysis of the poem “Dover Beach” by the Victorian-era classic Matthew Arnold. The purpose of this essay is to summarize the research details found and discuss this poetic work.
Of primary importance is an examination of the semantic structures that were invested by Arnold in the creation of this work. In brief, the poem recounts the lyrical protagonist’s disillusionment with the decline of Christian faith in the rise of scientific thought in society. Under the pressure of Darwin’s evolutionary biology, the general rise of the exact sciences, and more rational consideration of biblical texts, Christianity fails to withstand the pressure and promptly disappears.
Thus, according to Victorianism, a world that has embarked on the path of technology and industrialization is doomed to violence and brutality because these philosophies cannot correlate with Christian charity, which is characteristic of the current of Formalism. Thus, the work’s central message should be seen as a melancholy statement about the rapid pace of humanity, which the individual cannot keep up with.
Arnold does, however, leave us with the hope that love can save the lost faith. In fact, the love to which the protagonist (or author) turns could be an effective solution to restore the confidence and strength that humanity has been given by faith in God. Thus, love in this context can act as a tool that can partially replace the function of religion or, more specifically, reconnect separated, self-centered people.
It is noteworthy that to express his meanings more correctly, Arnold used several literary devices. One of these is symbolism, which can be seen as a fundamental classic of Victorian poetry. More specifically, the sea as an expression of the protagonist’s (or author’s) personal feelings changes throughout the poem, from moderately calm and comfortable to agitated and murky. This development helps the reader to trace the emotional experience of the protagonist disappointed in humanity.
On the other hand, the sea in “Dover Beach” is humanized, as it may seem to have consciousness and intentions. The wave hesitates before grasping the rock, just as a man does when in doubt about the right choice. From a more formal point of view, Arnold uses repetitions of the reinforcing particle “so” and “nor” in the last stanza to create the right mood at the end. A comparative method and metaphors were also used in the middle of the poem when Arnold introduced Sophocles, the Athenian playwright, into the narrative in order to explain the nature of human suffering through him.
A reading of the present poem cannot fail to provoke ambiguous thoughts in the modern reader. It is essential to recognize that about a century and a half has passed since the work was published, and the world has changed radically. However, the emotional core of man, namely the longing for faith, love, and self-discovery, has remained the same. Therefore, the reader can understand the depth of the protagonist’s suffering and recognize his philosophy. On the other hand, the fear of technologization and the sense of the world’s tendency toward hatred can hardly be peculiar to the modern individual who lives within the framework of the new times. It is difficult to share with the Victorian his fears about the future, to put it another way.
In conclusion, this poem is a textbook illustration of the human fear of the swiftness of time. The lyrical character in the poem is frustrated by people’s loss of Christian faith and sees the world heading toward cruelty and violence. Arnold uses several classic rhetorical devices, including repetition, metaphors, symbolism, and humanization, to better convey emotion and meaning.