How do Dover Beach written by Matthew Arnold and Ulysses written by Alfred Tennyson address the element of death? How is death used as a motif?
Both "Dover Beach" and "Ulysses" address the element of death in different ways.
In "Dover Beach," Matthew Arnold uses the imagery of the 'Sea of Faith' retreating and the 'melancholy, long, withdrawing roar' of the sea to convey a sense of spiritual doubt and loss. Death is used as a motif to symbolize the decline of faith and the inevitability of human mortality. The speaker reflects on the transience of life and the passing of time, ultimately leading to the realization that death is a universal and inescapable reality.
In contrast, Alfred Tennyson's "Ulysses" presents death as a motivating force rather than a source of despair. The poem is a dramatic monologue where the speaker, Ulysses, reflects on his adventurous past and expresses his desire for one last journey before facing the end of his life. Death is used as a motif to emphasize Ulysses' determination to live life to the fullest and seek new experiences, even in the face of his own mortality.
Overall, both poems address the element of death as a central theme, but they approach it from different perspectives. Arnold's "Dover Beach" expresses a sense of existential angst and despair, while Tennyson's "Ulysses" focuses on the quest for personal fulfillment and the defiance of death.