The three poems

Water is portrayed in the three poems as a symbol of unity and harmony on the one hand, and hate and suffering on the other. In Dove Beach, the speaker finds the calmness of the sea to be stunning, but the grating roar of the water later disorients the elegance. In Emily’s poem, the hero is erotically lapped by sea waters, but the same water overflows and threatens her as a sign of her impending doom. Concerning Ode to the Sea, calm water is described as pleasant to fishermen who catch a lot of fish, but rising tides and dwindling light bring darkness and bad luck to fishermen. The serenity, calmness, and glimmering reflections on the quiet waters inject the speakers’ minds with feelings of love, comfort, and hope. The sweet night air due to sea calmness drives the speakers in the world of romance and fantasy. In contrary, rising tides and bitter sounds of ocean waters disrupt the otherwise peaceful minds of the speakers and suggest an unlikely cloud of sadness waving in their minds.

Question 3

The poems have similar imageries and metaphors, such as The Sea which shows up itself in different forms and places with its powers related to human consciousness. The Tides are also frequent in both poems, whereby the rising tides represent misery and unexpected occurrences.

Question 4

Dover beach has a lonely tone where it opens by stating the calmness of the sea, a sign of loneliness. Ode the sea has a warning tone in which human beings are warned against abandoning God’s ways and resorting to their own selfish life, same to Emily’s poem.

Question 5

Arnold has hopes in the future according to the last stanza in his poem. He expresses hope for a better future when he tells his lover to be faithful to each other. Arnold says that “the ever fighting world will only be peaceful if humans embrace each other and love unconditionally”.