Matthew Arnold is one of the best-known poets of the Victorian Era, and almost every anthology of English literature features "Dover Beach." His related poem "Calais Sands", on the other hand, is virtually unknown. Nevertheless, an obvious connection between the two appears in the fact that Dover and Calais face each other on the English and French sides of The Channel, and the words beach and sand point towards a similar relationship. Althogh they share the same geographical setting, their points of view differ: The speaker of "Calais Sands" is in France looking towards England's cliffs; the speaker of "Dover Beach" is in England and looks towards the French coast, which then disappears in darkness.
Another connection or parallel appears in the situation of Matthew Arnold in 1851 — in the poems' biographical context — for he wrote both of them during his courtship of and eventual marriage to Frances Lucy Wightman. Therefore, both are highly autobiographical.
In addition, both poems have a lyrical self speaking to an addressee. But whereas the speaker of "Calais Sands" only imagines to be reunited with his loved one, the speaker of "Dover Beach" actually calls his love to the window to see and experience the nightly atmosphere.
Both poems seem to glorify the Middle Ages, with "Calais Sands" depicting a historical event and "Dover Beach" rather vaguely speaking of the "Sea of Faith" as a time when religion was still intact and not called into question by progress and science. It could refer to any period of time before the Victorian age.
Both feature the sea as a dominant image and metaphor. In "Dover Beach", the sea is quite ambivalent, appearing beautiful on the outside but then being turned into a metaphor for the loss of religion and certainty. In "Calais Sands", the sea is genuinely positive. It appears beautiful in the glittering sunlight and it carries his love across The Channel. In "Calais Sands", the sea seems to be moving towards the speaker whereas in "Dover Beach" the sea, and thus faith, is withdrawing itself.
"Dover Beach" portrays a night scene at the seaside. The poet projects his negative feeling on the landscape. The world is seen as completely negative, and the lyrical self withdraws itself to the private realm, finding solace in personal relationships.
"Calais Sands" narrates a daytime scene at Calais. It is a love poem, in which the lyrical self is just content to catch a glimpse of his beloved or spend a night at the same hotel. Although adverse circumstances prevent a reunion or physical contact between the lovers, the speaker is not depressed. Just the thought of his love makes him happy.
References
Hamilton, Ian. A Gift Imprisoned: The Poetic Life of Matthew Arnold. London: Bloomsbury, 1999.
Hühn, Peter. Geschichte der Englischen Lyrik 2. Tübingen/Basel, 1995.
Murray, Nicholas. A Life of Matthew Arnold. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1996.
Riede, David G. Matthew Arnold and The Betrayal of Language. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1988
Thomas, Roy. How to read a Poem? London: University of London Press Ltd, 1961.
Last modified 26 August 2004