Tuesday, October 14, 2014
The Death of an Era
Dover Beach begins with the depiction of a calm sea, something that I would normally associate with serenity, but this is not the same for Matthew Arnold. While reading this selection I did a bit of research on the time period, and what I found changed the meaning from a gentle relaxed vision of waves caressing the shore to a cynical piece about the loss of traditions. During the time of 1865 the Industrial Revolution ruled London, and with this brought about a drastic change from centuries of simple country living to that of harsh living in the big city. With this change from the country to the city many of the past traditions are being forgotten and replaced for new ones, and among those are religious beliefs.
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I honestly didn't look up anything about the time period. I just sort of left it and took my own interpretation without the background information. It's good to know about the times though. It helps give me a new perspective of the poem.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Samantha! I did not look up any background information either, but I appreciated that you provided us with this information. I think i just allowed myself to get lost in the poem, analyzing each stanza.
ReplyDeleteVery smart way to look at this poem as an ARTIFACT. Texts should be analyzed this way-- focusing on why they were written depending on the history that surrounded them.
ReplyDeleteI looked at the poem very differently from you, but I was interested in the way you used research to change how you interpreted the poem. I actually went back and re read the poem after reading your post and it changed how I read it completely.
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