1. Dover Beach
Matthew Arnold

2. •Summarise the poem in one sentence
•What is the tone of the poem?
subject & tone

3. imagery
•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?

4. ‘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

5. imagery
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.’

6. What do you think Arnold means by
the phrase:
The Sea of Faith
It is generally understood that Arnold is
bewailing the lack of certainty in life.
He was writing in the nineteenth century.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
imagery

7. imagery
Consider 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?

8. form & feeling
•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?

9. comparisons.
Make some notes on how this poem
could be compared to other poems in
the anthology.
Think about tone, theme and style.