Explain two images from “Dover Beach” ( MEG 102 ) ( MATTHEW ARNOLD )

One image in "Dover Beach" is the description of the sea as the "eternal note of sadness." This image is a metaphor that compares the sound of the sea to the universal sadness that runs through human history. The waves of the sea are constant and unending, just as the sadness in human existence seems to be an unshakeable part of the human condition. This image highlights the speaker's sense of despair and the idea that the world is filled with a sense of melancholy.

Another image in the poem is the description of the world as a "darkling plain." This image suggests a sense of desolation and emptiness. The world is compared to a plain that is dark and uninviting, with no clear direction or purpose. This image reinforces the speaker's sense of uncertainty and suggests that the world is a bleak and uninviting place, devoid of any meaning or purpose. Overall, both of these images help to create a sense of melancholy and despair in the poem, and they contribute to the speaker's reflections on the uncertainty and darkness of human existence.