This poem by Matthew Arnold is an extended metaphor comparing the sea to faith. At first, the speaker is discussing the beauty of the sea. He seems to be on the beach at the cliffs of Dover in England on the French coast. I'm confused on the last two lines of stanza one that says, "With tremulous cadence slow, and bring/ The eternal note of sadness in." I also need more explanation regarding the second stanza. The speaker then transitions to the "Sea of Faith." He says that is once was full, but lately it has been less beautiful. He is claiming that people have been losing their faith and he is lamenting this religious decline. He is still a believer and wants others to come back. He tells his audience, "love, let us be true/ To one another!" I find the last line, "Where ignorant armies clash by night" to be very effective. Whether the armies are literal or figurative, he still makes the point of the uselessness of fighting and lack of faith and love.
No comments:
Post a Comment