Dover Beach - Emotional Response

Emotional Response to the Poem: Topic #4

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.

In the poem Dover Beach, by Matthew Arnold, the topic of a shaking of one’s faith and belief system is discussed. Upon first reading this poem, it is somewhat difficult to notice the underlying themes that are set forth by Arnold. However, after reading it over a few times, and thinking deeper about each word in this poem it is apparent that Arnold is making a large statement about religious struggles. I think that this poem has a lot of profound and meaningful in each line. The stanza posted up above is one of my favorite stanzas in the poem. I think it is so interesting that Arnold talks about the sea of faith being full and being all around the earth’s shore. It is an emotional metaphor that represents the faith of the world, once being full, but now slowly emptied and drowned out by the melancholic view of faith. Although it is sometimes hard to admit, I think that this poem is can be related easily to ones own personal faith.  If I am completely honest, I feel like this semester has been a time where the sea of my faith has been a bit more melancholic and the tide has retreated quite a bit. Moving down here to Azusa for the first time, I have felt a little lost, and felt like the ground beneath me has shaken quite a bit. Experiencing a tragedy while adjusting to a new and foreign life down here has shaken my faith quite a bit, and has left me feeling somewhat lost and empty. I think that this poem can open up a lot of reflection and realization about the evolving faith. Arnold’s background was deeply infused with Christian beliefs and values, so it is fascinating to see the view he possesses towards the failing faith of the world. This poem has allowed me to reflect and think about how my faith is sometimes affected by emotional obstacles, yet towards the end of the poem Arnold makes a statement about being true and being new. I think the last stanza is another set of words that allows for reflection about being made new even in times of struggling and fighting. It is so amazing to see how much this poem relates to how I have been feeling this semester. I think Matthew Arnold did an excellent job making profound statements while giving the reader room to create their own personal, emotional response to the poem.