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Setting in Dover Beach & My Last Duches Intro to Literature Paper II . My
analysis of the setting in My Last Duchess and Dover Beach At first glance the
setting of a poem is the psychological and physiological environment in which
the story takes place. In some instances, the setting is used to develop the
characters. Robert Browning and Matthew Arnold use the setting to expose their
character traits. “My Last Duchess” and “Dover Beach,” respectively, portray the
weaknesses of the characters using elements from the setting. The text, page 629
and 630, tells us that the setting in “My Last Duchess” displays a valuable art
form that exposes his greed and cruelty. “Dover Beach” demonstrates
changeability and impermanence. The speaker’s solution is to establish personal
fidelity as a fixture against change, dissolution, and brutality. Even though
the text tells us the main use of setting in these two poems, I believe that
many individual words used in the poems help describe the surroundings and the
feelings that the speaker is trying to get across.
Robert Browning, the author
of “My Last Duchess”, uses the setting to show the Dukes greed, cruelty, and
jealousy. The development of the setting begins with the Duke showing an agent
for the Count of Tyrol the curtained picture of his deceased Duchess. Count of
Troy sent an agent in order to see if the Duke is worthy to marry his daughter.
The fact that he keeps the picture behind closed curtains and deems it a
privilege to view the Duke’s last Duchess illustrates his possessiveness and
greed. “She thanked men--good! But thanked somehow--I know not how--as if she
ranked my gift of nine-hundred-years-old name with anybody’s gift”. This line
lends to the setting by showing his greed and how 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 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
life Where 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. .
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