Which stanza best expresses the societal changes that occurred during the Victorian Age as they relate to the tone of “Dover Beach”? (3pts)(3 points)

Responses

“But now I only hear/Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,”
“But now I only hear/Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,”

“The Sea of Faith/Was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore”
“The Sea of Faith/Was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore”

“...for the world, which seems / To lie before us like a land of dreams/…Hath neither joy, nor love, nor light.”
“...for the world, which seems / To lie before us like a land of dreams/…Hath neither joy, nor love, nor light.”

“ . . . on the French coast the light/Gleams and is gone;”

“The Sea of Faith/Was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore” best expresses the societal changes that occurred during the Victorian Age as they relate to the tone of “Dover Beach.” This stanza reflects the decline in religious faith and the sense of loss and uncertainty that many Victorians experienced during this time period. The imagery of the receding tide mirrors the fading belief in traditional values and the overall pessimistic outlook on the future that is present in the poem.