Dover Beach Essay -- essays research papers

In the poem "Dover Beach",witten in 1867 Matthew Arnold creates the way of the poem through the usage of contrary types of resource. He uses a dramatic plat in the form of a soliloquy. Arnold also uses descriptive adjectives, similes and fictions to create the conception. Through the use of these literary elements, Arnold portrays the man standing in the lead the window pondering the sound of the pebbles tossing in the waves as representation of man suffering. The man arrives at the vision of humanity being helpless against personality. Arnold creates the mood by suggesting mental pictures, actions, sights and sounds the man sees. Some examples are "folds of a gleaming girdle furled", "lie before us like a unload of dreams" and "moon-blanched land". Arnolds use of different types of imagery and descriptive adjectives to invest sensory impressions of the setting, create the move mood of the poem, which is the eternal struggle of nature ove r man. In "Dover Beach", Matthew Arnold uses detailed adjectives and sensory imagery to describe the setting and portray the beginning mood, which begins with the illusion of natural peach and ends with tragic human experience. The poem begins two-part stanzas, the first which is promising and hopeful the southward replaces optimism with a reality which is grim. Arnold uses contrast when he appeals to the sense of sight in the first section and to hearing in the second. Arnold starts with the descriptions of the "calm sea", " light tide" and the "vast" cliffs which create a lull, innocent appearance. This sets the mood of relaxation and contentment which the speaker feels when he gazes out upon the sea. "Come to the window, sweet is the night-air", gives the reader the impression of a cool, summer night. The mood begins to be soothing and calming to the reader. Arnold then however, begins to change the tone. Arnold describes, "The gra ting roar of pebbles, Of the pebbles which the waves draw back", with "a tremulous cadence". This portrays the image of an imaginary battle on the land of Dover. Arnold writes of the horrible sound of the pebbles beating away at the land. The pebbles are wear the land away, which the speaker thrives off of and adores. Arnold illustrates the mans internal battle with the land destroying his home... ...t". This metaphor ties unitedly how the speakers battle is in truth similar to a soldiers battle. The speakers battle however, is useless to fight, because he knows he will never win.All in all, the fluctuating mood and usage of descriptive adjectives to illustrate the setting, tie the poem together and create the mood Arnold was looking to achieve. The image of the tides battling with the land when they meet, is merged with the consequent destiny of humanity to battle fruitless fights with nature. Arnolds method of illustrating the setting is different than the oth er two poems because he uses detailed imagery almost on the whole to reveal the mood of the story. He also uses a fluctuating plot that goes back and forth from human defeat to contentment. Jown Cowper, writer of "Suspended Judgements", critiqued Maupassant on "Dover Beach". Cowper said "Maupassant develops the mood by dividing the poem into trio stanza to represent the speaker s fluctuation from peace of mind to despair. This proves to be very effective, by showing the indecisiveness of the speaker. Maupassant also uses images of the setting to create the mood" (Cowper, 1919, 43).