The author sets the start of the poem to a soothing landscape and peaceful interpretation of the sea and Europe. He uses various adjectives to help describe the scenario he wants to set, by using phrases like “tranquil bay”. The poet captivates the reader by the calmness and serenity of the deep blue sea and the “Glimmering and vast…cliffs of England”. Continuing on into the poem, the tone is described to represent peace and tranquility. When he describes the air using the phrase,“sweet is the night air,” he gives the reader a figurative smell to depend towards. The author tells the reader to “Listen!” to the melody given by the rushing waves and the “grating roar”. Throughout the first 14 lines, Matthew Arnold gives a straight forward description towards the …show more content…
After showing the reader his peaceful overview on society in the mid 1800’s, the poet gives his opinionated metaphorical interpretation of human society by using the sea’s of New England. He talks about “The eternal note of sadness”, as a symbol, comparing it to the feelings and emotions of men and women in the mid 1800’s. Through the authors line of “the pebbles draw back and fling”, we can see the imagery he is trying to protrude. He wants us to relate the pebbles to the feelings of humans in that time period. Furthermore, the consistency of society’s happiness being brought down and back up due to historical events. Matthew Arnold zooms out of the poem by using the ”moon blanched land” as a symbol to metaphorically describe a pale, lonely beach. He uses this symbol to switch tones in the poem giving it a darker mood as in society. Different symbols can provide different meanings, however, the author uses these specific symbols to prove his greater view of