WorksheetsIGCSE Literature Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold
Total questions: 15
Worksheet time: 10mins
The poem opens with an atmosphere of
uncertainty and vague threats
calm, soothing security and peace
noise, chaos and danger
absurd humour and ridiculous jokes
The poem is describing the sea and cliffs of Dover...
overlooking the English Channel on a quiet evening with the moon in the sky
overlooking the English Channel on a quiet morning as the sun rises
overlooking the Irish Sea on a quiet evening with the moon in the sky
overlooking the English Channel on a quiet morning as the sun sets
The calm sea, solid cliffs and tranquil weather suggest security and permanence which is an example of
sympathetic failure where weather and environment reflect human emotions
pathetic fallacy where weather and environment reflect human emotions
pathetic failure where weather and environment reflect human emotions
sympathetic fallacy where weather and environment reflect human emotions
First stanza words such as gleams, glimmering, fair and light suggest that...
it is almost daytime and the sun is rising
although it is night, there is light and beauty in the world
it is a dark, cloudy night where nothing can be seen
there is a magician lighting up the sky
The form of the poem is...
a Petrachan sonnet
free verse
free or open verse but using some elements of the sonnet
an unusually complex haiku that breaks all the rules
What aspect of the environment is personified when it is described as using pebbles to 'fling' ?
The wind
The sunshine
The horses
The sea
In the second part of the poem, words such as 'moon-blanched', 'grating roar' and 'tremulous cadence' suggest that
the world is about to end
there is more pain, turmoil and insecurity that the narrator initially thought
the narrator is struggling to get to sleep
the beach is very busy with tourists
The movement of senses and imagery in the poem is from
Sound > Sight
Sight > Sound
Smell > Sight
Smell > Touch
These two lines use the type of alliteration known as
sibilance
fricative
guttural
glottal
The ancient Greek philosopher and playwright Sophocles appears in the poem suggesting that
Sophocles was still alive when the poem was written
Sophocles was a symbol of the foundations of knowledge and security
the Greeks had better heroes than in modern times
Arnold wishes he was able to write plays too
What techniques does Arnold use in the following lines to suggest the waves of the sea and the tide pulling in and out:
"Begin, and cease, and then again begin,
With tremulous cadence slow, and bring
The eternal note of sadness in. "
pathetic fallacy
trochaic inversion
internal rhyme and fricative alliteration
enjambment, caesura and a type of repetition called polysyndeton,
Some critics have described the theme of the poem as being the conflict between ‘ignorance’ and ‘certitude’ or in other words:
life and death
the rich and the poor
war and peace
secure knowledge and not knowing anything
"The Sea of Faith" is an image that suggests:
a belief in science and progress
a belief that the sea is a beautiful place to visit
a belief that religion can answer all of life's questions
a belief that education can make the world a better place
"To one another! for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new"
The simile used in these lines suggests that:
Arnold is very optimistic that the future will be better than the past
Arnold thinks that optimism about modernity is attractive but not real
Arnold thinks the Dover Beach is very beautiful
Arnold was describing a dream he had
What questions do you have about this poem? What would you like to ask Matthew Arnold?
