Name______________________

Dover Beach
Matthew Arnold TEXT OF THE POEM The sea is calm to-night. The tide is full, the moon lies fair Upon the straits; on the French coast the light Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand; 5 Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay. Come to the window, sweet is the night-air! Only, from the long line of spray Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land, Listen! you hear the grating roar 10 Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling, At their return, up the high strand, Begin, and cease, and then again begin, With tremulous cadence slow, and bring The eternal note of sadness in. 15 Sophocles long ago Heard it on the Aegean, and it brought Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow Of human misery; we Find also in the sound a thought, 20 Hearing it by this distant northern sea. The Sea of Faith Was once, too, at the full, and round earth's shore Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled. But now I only hear 25 Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar, Retreating, to the breath Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear And naked shingles of the world. VOCABULARY and ALLUSION NOTES

Straits narrow bodies of water that connect to larger bodies of water Gleams glows Vast large, wide Blanched to whiten by removing color Strand land bordering a body of water Tremulous vibrating, trembling Cadence a rhythmic sequence or flow (usually of sounds) Sophocles a Greek playwright who believed that the gods can cause misery for no apparent reason, just like a wave driven by the wind Aegean sea near Greece Turbid cloudy, dense, thick Girdle article of clothing circling the waist Furled gathered in a tight roll Melancholy sad Drear dreary, sad

Ah, love, let us be true 30 To one another! for the world, which seems To lie before us like a land of dreams, So various, so beautiful, so new, Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain; 35 And we are here as on a darkling plain Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, Where ignorant armies clash by night.

Certitude certainty, the state of feeling certain

Name________________________________

Dover Beach and Fahrenheit 451: What is the connection?

Complete this packet in class and finish for homework. It counts as a quiz grade. Lesson objectives: To understand the importance of Matthew Arnolds poem in Fahrenheit 451 by discovering how its themes relate to the themes of the novel.

Your Reaction:
Dover Beach is one of the most important allusions in Fahrenheit 451. Listen to the poem and record what you think and feel in the space below as the poem is read aloud. Jot down all of the words that come to mind. The goal is for you to record your gut reaction. (How does the poem make you feel? Happy? Sad? What words stick with you? What does it make you think about?)

In the space below, summarize your reaction to the poem based on what you wrote down as you listened to it. Overall, how did this poem make you feel?

Imagine that you are on a honeymoon and your husband or wife tells you: Honey, the world is a terrible, horrible place. Everything is awful. Its really bad. Theres nothing good about it, except you. You re it. So youd better love me. How would you react?

Name_______________________ Individual tasks: Each person in your group will complete one of these tasks and then share with the group. 1. Circle examples of alliteration and repetition. 2. Explain the meaning of the Sea of Faith. What does it symbolize?

3. Identify and explain other examples of figurative language.

4. Summarize stanzas 2-4. (A stanza is a grouped set of lines.) When you summarize, you briefly retell the important ideas or details of what you read. As you read Dover Beach, look for important details in each stanza. Write these details in your own words in the Summary Chart below. Summary Chart Summary of Stanza 1: The scene across the English Channel is pleasant and peaceful. The waves touch the land and pick up pebbles as they move back and forth. The waves movement is a lonely sight.

Summary of Stanza 2:

Summary of Stanza 3:

Summary of Stanza 4:

Name________________________ Together in your group: 1. Write a theme statement about Dover Beach based on your investigations:

Re-read pages 96-98 in your groups, then answer the questions below.

Mrs. Phelps was crying. The others in the middle of the desert watched her crying grow very loud as her face squeezed itself out of shape. They sat, not touching her, bewildered with her display. She sobbed uncontrollably. Montag himself was stunned and shaken. (97) 2. Why do you think that Mildreds friends reacted so strongly after Montag read this poem aloud to them?

Dover Beach. Now thats a poem!

Name_________________________

For homework:
Using what you learned in class, answer the following question in a well-developed paragraph that begins with the sentence starter that is provided. (Your paragraph should show evidence of TEAR. Type or write in the space provided.) When we discussed allusions last week, we noted that allusions make meaningful connections. Dover Beach is a poem that reflects on the speakers weakening of faith and lifes hardship and uncertainty in general. What is the connection between Dover Beach and Fahrenheit 451? Why did Ray Bradbury choose to include Dover Beach in this part of the novel? Use this sentence starter: Ray Bradbury chose to include Dover Beach in Fahrenheit 451 to show/send the message/suggest that

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