Dover Beach

In Matthew Arnold’s poem “Dover Beach”, a wide variety of interpretations to the poems meaning, inspiration, and purpose are made possible by the different aspects to which it can be viewed. The aspects to which I am referring to are metaphor, imagery, and structure. Critics have made many hypotheses on Arnold’s purpose with this poem, but each is made unique by the aspect through which the critic looks at the poem. Such critics …

…the sea at Dover was written. In other words, lines twenty-nine through thirty-seven were written as a prelude to the final lines that were published. In these lines there are no references to the sea or the tides. The structure at the end of the poem suggests this theory and is further proven by the poem’s concluding simile. It acts as a touch of Arnold’s creative powers, adding poetic and philosophical suggestions. (Tinker 631)