Dove Beach

In Matthew Arnold's Dover Beach, a strong message of fear and love is delivered through poetic wording. Arnold writes "The Sea of Faith was once, too, at the full, and round earth's shore Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled. But now I only hear it's melancholy, long withdrawing roar." This shows that the author believes that faith is waning. The world is becoming a worse place for whatever reason and he must turn away. The speaker says to his unidentified companion that they must turn to each other in this tough time. They must turn to the love they hold in each other's hearts. The speaker believes the only constant in the world is that of the love he has for his companion. The author uses setting as a primary vehicle to explain this,  using the imagery of a body of water at low tide to show how the world's becoming less faithful. He describes what Sophocles' called "The turbid ebb and flow of human misery." The author's use of imagery helps to illustrate to the audience what is happening in the world and why he must turn to his lover.