w he places himself above other men according to his possessions and can not believe that she had the audacity to place “the Duke” in the same category as other men. The physical setting of this poem is revealed by phrases such as “ That’s my Duchess painted on the wall” and words like “curtains” and “Duke”. “Duke” itself makes one think of a beautiful castle with priceless furniture and art work. The use of curtains to cover up the Duchess’ picture implies that the Duke is hiding something. The phrase mentioned above informs all that the Duke’s past wife is dead and that by putting her picture on the wall shows the love and devotion that he had for her and will have for his future wife. Where the words of the Duke imply that he shows dedication and warm heart for the Duchess the setting reveals the true character of the Duke.“Dover Beach” is a poem written by Matthew Arnold and was first published in 1849. The physical setting is described as a moon lit night by a calm sea. In the distant background the speaker describes the cliffs of England as he looks across a tranquil bay. The author is setting up a romantic scene for two people in love. The waves give both a mental and physical setting for the poem.“Listen! You hear the grating roar of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling, at their return, up the high strand, begin, and cease, and then again begin, with tremulous cadence slow, and bring the eternal note of sadness in.” Here, Arnold begins using the setting to describe the characters and their traits. The phrase “begin, and cease, and then again begin” is indicative of the characters changing state of mind; to like then dislike, to love then hate then love again. The use of ebb, flow, and misery makes the night and the relationship between the lovers appears dark and chaotic. Through his depiction of...
