Conflicting Imagery in Matthew Arnold's Dover Beach

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Conflicting Imagery in Matthew Arnold's Dover Beach

In the poem Dover Beach, the poet uses conflicting imagery to give

meaning to the poem. The differences in the way that the poet sees the

relationship between the beach and the sea and the way that most people

would see it become more pronounced as the poem develops. He also uses the

change in attitude from the first stanza to the last to emphasize his

message.

The poem starts with the normal image one would expect of a beach

and a peaceful moonlit night, but quickly moves to an entirely different

point of view. By the end of the first stanza the sea is no longer peaceful

and calm, but crashing with a 'grating roar'. The poet has taken an image

that most people associate with tra...

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