Dover Beach Matthew Arnold

•Summarise the poem in one sentence

•What is the tone of the poem?

subject & tone

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ery

•Annotate images that appeal to the senses.

•How does the sound of the poem contribute to tone in the first stanza?

•How does the atmosphere change in the 2nd stanza?

•How does the sound of the second stanza contribute to this change?

‘When a house has once been shaken by the gods, no form of ruin is lacking, but it spreads over the bulk of the race, just as, when the surge is driven over the darkness of the deep by the fierce breath of Thracian sea-winds, it rolls up the black sand from the depths, and the wind-beaten headlands that front the blows of the storm give out a mournful roar.’

ANTIGONE: Sophocles

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ery

What is the effect of the following phrases:

•‘The eternal note of sadness in’

•‘…the turbid ebb and flow of human misery’

•‘I only hear its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar’

•‘…the world which seems to lie before us like a land of dreams.’

imagery

What do you think Arnold means by the phrase:

The Sea of FaithIt is generally understood that Arnold is bewailing the lack of certainty in life. He was writing in the nineteenth century.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

imageryConsider the final stanza:

•What does Arnold say about the nature of dreams?

•Is he realistic or pessimistic?

•How does the final image of the poem convey the message of the poem?

form

&

feelin

g

•Can you detect a metre or a rhyme scheme?

•How does this contribute to the feeling of the poem?

•To whom is the poem addressed?

•How does the poem communicate the pain and anxiety of the poet?

comparisons.Make some notes on how this poem could be compared to other poems in the anthology.

Think about tone, theme and style.