Examkin

Question

Difficulty: Very hardAllusion and Intertextuality

Read the following passage from Matthew Arnold's poem "Dover Beach" (1867) carefully:

Sophocles long ago
Heard it on the Ægean, and it brought
Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow
Of human misery; we
Find also in the sound a thought,
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
Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,
Retreating, to the breath
Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear
And naked shingles of the world.

In the context of this passage, the speaker's allusion to Sophocles primarily serves to do which of the following?

  1. A
    suggest that classical literature provides a template for restoring the lost religious faith of the modern world
  2. B
    argue that the natural world can only be fully comprehended when analyzed through the lens of classical tragic drama
  3. universalize the speaker's sense of melancholy by establishing a historical continuity of human suffering across different erasAnswer
  4. D
    highlight a contrast between the simple, pagan beliefs of ancient Greece and the complex spiritual doubts of the Victorian era
  5. E
    distinguish between the physical tide of the Aegean Sea and the purely metaphorical tide of the northern sea

Answer

The option stating that the allusion serves to universalize the speaker's sense of melancholy by establishing a historical continuity of human suffering across different eras.
The correct option correctly identifies that the allusion to Sophocles serves to universalize the speaker's melancholy. By connecting the Victorian speaker's modern feelings of spiritual isolation to the classical Greek dramatist's experience of hearing the same sound and thinking of 'human misery,' the poem establishes a historical continuity of human suffering. This suggests that the decline of faith and the rise of sorrow are not unique to the speaker's era, but are persistent, inescapable elements of the human condition.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Locate and analyze the allusion in the context of the poem.
The speaker references Sophocles hearing the ebb and flow of the tide on the Aegean Sea, which brought 'human misery' to his mind.
This establishes what the allusion refers to and identifies the specific association Sophocles makes with the sea.
2
Compare Sophocles' experience with the speaker's experience in the present.
The speaker states that 'we / Find also in the sound a thought,' connecting the modern listener by the northern sea to the ancient dramatist.
This reveals the structural and conceptual link the speaker is creating between past and present.
3
Evaluate the thematic impact of this historical connection.
By showing that the same sound evoked the same melancholy thoughts in ancient Greece, the speaker frames their modern despair as a universal, timeless part of human existence.
The correct interpretation must address how this allusion elevates the poem's thematic argument beyond a localized or contemporary lament.

Key Concept

Analyzing the thematic function of classical allusions to establish historical continuity and universalize poetic themes.
Estimated Time:2m 0s
Rate this question

Topics

Allusion and Intertextuality

More questions from this topic