the eroding shores of the earth, Arnold describes the constant changes in the relationship and the continuous changes of their feelings towards each other. Lines 20 and 21, “the Sea of Faith, was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore,” describe the erosion of not only the land but the relationship of the couple, too. The wind, waves, and sounds that you hear along the beach, obviously the physical aspects of the setting represent the emotional ties of the lovers. The speakers description of a land of dreams having, “neither joy, nor love, nor light, nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain:” is one were the relationship has nothing hidden and the roar of the waves on the beach reflect relaxation instead of confusion and controversy between the couple. Being confused the couple does not know if they are fighting to keep the relationship going or fighting in order to end the relationship. The setting described in the last three lines using words such as struggle, flight, clash, and darkling plan allows the reader to understand the confusion in the couples lifeWhere Browning uses the setting to reveal the characters greed and cruelty, Arnold uses the setting in “Dover Beach” to expose the lover’s struggle in their relationship. Both poems’ settings reveal the weaknesses of their characters and allow the reader to draw a mental picture of the situations faced by the characters in the poems’. The use of setting in a poem emphasizes the author words and character development. Setting not only describes the physical surroundings; it also describes the mental though of the characters in a poem. . ...
