Dover Beach - Matthew Arnold

Topic # 1: Biography

Matthew Arnold, the well-known poet and English writer was born on December 24, 1822. He grew up in a somewhat wealthy lifestyle in different parts of England. His father was headmaster of the Rugby school in Laleham, Middlesex. Arnold attended various different colleges, one of those being the Rugby school where his Father worked. He quickly became a successful student, writer, poet and critic. After many great awards and achievements, Arnold won an open scholarship to Balliol College at Oxford. He began to teach at various different colleges and eventually was elected Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford. In 1847, he became Private Secretary to Lord Landsdowne, Lord President of the council. He wanted to get married and have a family, but he knew he could not support his family with the wages he was making, but soon he was appointed the position of Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools. He married Frances Lucy soon after and honeymooned on the coast of England, where he wrote his well-known poem “Dover Beach.” Lucy and Matthew had six children, and he continued his work traveling all around England inspecting various schools.

In 1852-1853 he published two different sets of poetry and soon after was elected Professor of Poetry at Oxford University. Arnold rapidly grew respect from many different institutions and people, and he began touring the United States giving lectures on education and democracy. Matthew Arnold died suddenly from heart failure in 1888 while he was running to meet a tram in Liverpool. He has previously been referred to as the third greatest Victorian poet, writing with “simplicity, lucidity, and straightforwardness; its literalness...; the sparing use of aureate words, or of far-fetched words, which are all the more effective when they come; the avoidance of inversions, and the general directness of syntax, which gives full value to the delicacies of a varied rhythm, and makes it, of all verse that I know, the easiest to read aloud." (Sir Edmund Chambers). People have considered Arnold to be the bridge between Romanticism and Modernism. Most of his works have included skeptic and pessimistic ideals of the Modern era as well as symbolism and natural ideals of the Romantic Era. In reading his poem “Dover Beach” it is clear that Arnold dealt a lot with political and cultural struggles and used his poetry and language to express his views. In addition, the context and background of Arnold’s life in a somewhat prestigious role in English society, allows for a better understanding of the message portrayed by Arnold. He seemed to have lived a simple life valuing education and knowledge. Overall, Arnold was a very achieved author, poet and professor who left a lasting effect in not only the world of poetry but the world of high culture as well.