The 19 th century was dominated by Queen Victoria's reign over Britain. Lower and middle class demand reforms Economic expansion, industrial consolidation, imperialism, colonial conflict, and war

Major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and transport Machine-based manufacturing The development of all-metal machines More production machines for manufacturing in other industries

Technology allowed people to communicate quicker and travel faster Railways, canals, and steam ship Thomas Edison Development of better anesthetics

The Great Exhibition of 1851, a World Fair in which some of the greatest innovations of the century were revealed. The Crystal Palace, an engineering feat itself housed the event.

Poverty Child Labor Increasing population Overcrowding Unemployment Prostitution

Charles Darwin Evolution of the Species Religion remained an inspiration for writers, architects, painters, and reformers

The new shift towards modern times and industrialization can be seen in various literary works of the time period. It is obvious that the Victorian Era and its rapid new development played a major role in inspiring writers, poets, artists, and musicians.

The sea is calm to-night. The tide is full, the moon lies fair Upon the straits; on the French coast the light Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand; Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay. Come to the window, sweet is the night-air! Only, from the long line of spray Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land, Listen! you hear the grating roar Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling, At their return, up the high strand, Begin, and cease, and then again begin, With tremulous cadence slow, and bring The eternal note of sadness in. Sophocles long ago Heard it on the Aegaean, and it brought Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow Of human misery; we Find also in the sound a thought, Hearing it by this distant northern sea. 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 Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar, Retreating, to the breath Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear And naked shingles of the world. Ah, love, let us be true To one another! for the world, which seems To lie before us like a land of dreams, So various, so beautiful, so new, Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain; And we are here as on a darkling plain Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, Where ignorant armies clash by night.

Title: “Dover Beach” refers to an actually physical place where the speaker is. Dover is an English ferry port that faces France. The reader knows this because of the title and the physical descriptions provided.

Paraphrase: The sea is flat. The tide is high. Looking from England’s shore Gleams of light from Frances coast can be seen The light is bright and easy to see from the beach Come to the window and enjoy the beautiful night! The ocean splashes against the shore. Where the sea hits hard land, Listen! You can hear the roar Of pebbles which the waves bring back and forth Come and go and again come back, With resonating rhythm Representing an eternal sadness. From the Aegean islands Sophocles heard this roar long ago He knew the flow of the ocean This can represent human misery; we Know because of this sound a thought, Hearing it by this distant northern sea. Common faith, Used to crash against the earth But now I only hear Its depressed long, withdrawing roar, Drowning faith, and returning to the ocean Now faith is absent Love and faith should be true Although the world seems Like a land of dreams, With its beauty and newness It is a dark place with no love or joy This can be seen as we stand here tonight On beaches like this soldiers are confused And ignorant armies clash by night.

Connotation: “Upon the straits; —on the French coast the light” looking across the channel to see the French coastline “Only, from the long line of spray” mist for the waves that crash against the land “Sophocles long ago Heard it on the Aegean, and it brought” an allusion to a myth that involves Sophocles on Aegean, an island off the coast. He heard the roar of these waves long ago. "distant northern sea" is the English Channel which separates England from continental Europe and is the body of water that forms Dover beach. “The Sea of Faith” refers to the undoubted religion that existed before times of scientific theory and discovery. “Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, Where ignorant armies clash by night.” an allusion to an account of the Peloponnesian War. The battle took place at night; the attacking army became disoriented while fighting.

Attitude: The speaker represents a melancholy attitude. This is obvious by the poet’s use of specific words to portray the speaker’s attitude. The speaker is disheartened that faith is no longer true.

Shift: Between the second and the third stanza, the poet shifts from a use of auditory images to describe the action of the tide itself. His metaphor allows the speaker to realize the loss of faith in the modern age.

Title(revisited): Dover Beach is not only a place where a speaker recognizes a naturalistic pattern, it can also be a metaphor for the loss of faith in the modern age.

Theme: With the coming of the modern age, faith and religion have been lost.