'The Voice' by Matthew Arnold
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As the kindling glances,
Queen-like and clear,
Which the bright moon lances
From her tranquil sphere
At the sleepless waters
Of a lonely mere,
On the wild whirling waves, mournfully, mournfully,
Shiver and die.
As the tears of sorrow
Mothers have shed—
Prayers that tomorrow
Shall in vain be sped
When the flower they flow for
Lies frozen and dead—
Fall on the throbbing brow, fall on the burning breast,
Bringing no rest.
Like bright waves that fall
With a lifelike motion
On the lifeless margin of the sparkling Ocean;
A wild rose climbing up a mouldering wall—
A gush of sunbeams through a ruined hall—
Strains of glad music at a funeral—
So sad, and with so wild a start
To this deep-sobered heart,
So anxiously and painfully,
So drearily and doubtfully,
And oh, with such intolerable change
Of thought, such contrast strange,
O unforgotten voice, thy accents come,
Like wanderers from the world's extremity,
Unto their ancient home!
In vain, all, all in vain,
They beat upon mine ear again,
Those melancholy tones so sweet and still.
Those lute-like tones which in the bygone year
Did steal into mine ear—
Blew such a thrilling summons to my will,
Yet could not shake it;
Made my tost heart its very life-blood spill,
Yet could not break it.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Voice by Matthew Arnold: A Masterpiece of Poetic Elegance
As a literary enthusiast, I have always been fascinated by the works of great poets who have left their indelible mark on the world of literature. Among these eminent poets stands Matthew Arnold, who is celebrated for his lyrical prowess and his ability to capture the complexities of human emotions in his poems. One of his most notable works is "The Voice," a masterpiece of poetic elegance that explores the themes of loss, grief, and the quest for spiritual transcendence. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we shall examine the various literary devices employed by Arnold to create a vivid and compelling narrative that resonates with readers even today.
Background
Before we delve into the analysis of the poem, it is essential to understand the historical and cultural context that shaped Arnold's worldview and influenced his poetic style. Matthew Arnold was born in 1822 in Laleham, England, to a family of intellectuals and clergymen. He was educated at Oxford University, where he imbibed the values of the Victorian era, which emphasized reason, morality, and social decorum. Arnold's poetry reflects the tensions between these Victorian values and his own skepticism and disillusionment with the world around him. He was deeply influenced by the Romantic poets, especially Wordsworth and Keats, whose lyrical style and themes of nature and spirituality are evident in "The Voice."
Literary Analysis
"The Voice" is a lyric poem that consists of six stanzas, each containing four lines. The poem is written in iambic tetrameter, which gives it a musical quality and a rhythmic flow. The poem is narrated by a speaker who is haunted by the memory of a lost love. The speaker hears the voice of his beloved in the wind, the sea, and the rustling leaves, and he is filled with a sense of longing and nostalgia. The poem is infused with a sense of melancholy and resignation, as the speaker reflects on the transience of life and the inevitability of death.
Imagery
One of the most striking features of "The Voice" is its vivid and evocative imagery. Arnold uses a variety of sensory details to create a rich and immersive world that transports the reader into the speaker's mind. The poem is filled with images of the natural world, such as the "darkening greenness" of the trees, the "shadows" of the night, and the "murmuring" of the sea. These images convey a sense of the speaker's emotional state, as he is enveloped by the beauty and majesty of nature. The use of imagery also serves to reinforce the themes of loss and longing, as the speaker hears the voice of his beloved in the "wandering airs" and the "breaking waves," reminding him of his loss and fueling his sense of yearning.
Symbolism
Arnold also employs a number of symbolic elements in the poem to add depth and complexity to the narrative. The most prominent of these symbols is the voice itself, which represents the speaker's desire for spiritual transcendence and his search for meaning in a world of despair. The voice is portrayed as a mysterious and alluring force that beckons the speaker to a higher plane of existence. The use of the voice as a symbol of transcendence is reminiscent of the Romantic poets, who often used nature as a means of escaping the limitations of the material world.
Another prominent symbol in the poem is the sea, which represents the vastness and unpredictability of life. The sea is portrayed as a force of nature that is both beautiful and terrifying, reflecting the speaker's ambivalent attitude toward the world around him. The sea also serves as a metaphor for the speaker's emotional state, as he is tossed about by the waves of grief and longing.
Tone and Mood
The tone and mood of "The Voice" are melancholic and introspective, reflecting the speaker's sense of loss and his search for meaning in a world that is often cruel and indifferent. The poem is suffused with a sense of longing and nostalgia, as the speaker reflects on the past and the memories of his lost love. The use of the first-person point of view creates a sense of intimacy between the reader and the speaker, as we are invited into the speaker's inner world and share his emotions and experiences.
Structure and Form
The structure and form of "The Voice" are simple and straightforward, consisting of six stanzas of four lines each. The poem is written in iambic tetrameter, which gives it a musical quality and a rhythmic flow. The use of rhyme and repetition adds to the musicality of the poem and reinforces the themes of loss and nostalgia. The poem is divided into two parts, with the first three stanzas dealing with the speaker's sense of loss and the last three stanzas focusing on his quest for spiritual transcendence.
Interpretation
"The Voice" is a deeply personal and introspective poem that explores the themes of loss, grief, and the search for spiritual transcendence. The speaker is haunted by the memory of a lost love, and he hears the voice of his beloved in the natural world around him. The poem is suffused with a sense of melancholy and nostalgia, as the speaker reflects on the past and the transience of life.
At its core, "The Voice" is a poem about the human condition and the quest for meaning in a world that is often chaotic and unpredictable. The speaker's search for spiritual transcendence represents a universal human desire to find a higher purpose and a sense of connection with the divine. The use of nature as a means of escape and transcendence is a common theme in Romantic poetry, and Arnold's use of this theme reflects his admiration for the Romantic poets and his desire to explore their ideas in his own work.
In conclusion, "The Voice" is a masterpiece of poetic elegance that explores the complexities of human emotions and the search for spiritual transcendence. Arnold's use of imagery, symbolism, tone, and structure creates a vivid and compelling narrative that resonates with readers even today. This poem is a testament to Arnold's lyrical prowess and his ability to capture the essence of the human experience in his poetry.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Voice by Matthew Arnold: A Poem of Love, Loss, and Longing
Matthew Arnold, one of the most celebrated poets of the Victorian era, is known for his melancholic and introspective poetry. His works often explore the themes of love, loss, and the search for meaning in life. One of his most famous poems, The Voice, is a hauntingly beautiful piece that captures the essence of these themes. In this article, we will delve into the meaning and significance of The Voice, and explore the various literary devices used by Arnold to convey his message.
The Voice is a poem about a man who hears the voice of his beloved, who has passed away, calling out to him. The poem is divided into three stanzas, each with a distinct tone and mood. The first stanza sets the scene and establishes the speaker's state of mind. He is walking alone in a desolate landscape, surrounded by the sounds of nature. The imagery used by Arnold in this stanza is vivid and evocative. He describes the "darkening green" of the trees, the "gray" of the sky, and the "sad" sound of the wind. These images create a sense of foreboding and melancholy, setting the stage for the rest of the poem.
In the second stanza, the speaker hears the voice of his beloved calling out to him. The voice is described as "sweet" and "familiar", and it fills the speaker with a sense of longing and nostalgia. The use of repetition in this stanza, with the repeated phrase "come back", emphasizes the speaker's desire to be reunited with his beloved. The imagery used in this stanza is also significant. The speaker describes the voice as coming from "the moaning wind", suggesting that his beloved is now a part of nature, and that her voice is a part of the natural world.
The third and final stanza of the poem is the most poignant and emotional. The speaker realizes that the voice he hears is not real, but a figment of his imagination. He acknowledges that his beloved is gone, and that he will never be able to see her again. The final lines of the poem, "Ah, love, let us be true / To one another! for the world, which seems / To lie before us like a land of dreams, / So various, so beautiful, so new, / Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, / Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain; / And we are here as on a darkling plain / Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, / Where ignorant armies clash by night.", are some of the most famous lines in all of English poetry. They capture the sense of despair and hopelessness that the speaker feels, and the realization that life is fleeting and uncertain.
The Voice is a poem that explores the themes of love, loss, and the search for meaning in life. It is a deeply personal and emotional piece, and Arnold's use of imagery and literary devices is masterful. One of the most striking aspects of the poem is the use of repetition. The repeated phrase "come back" in the second stanza emphasizes the speaker's longing for his beloved, and creates a sense of urgency and desperation. The repetition of the word "nor" in the final lines of the poem creates a sense of finality and resignation, emphasizing the speaker's realization that life is uncertain and fleeting.
Another important literary device used by Arnold in The Voice is imagery. The vivid and evocative descriptions of the natural world in the first stanza create a sense of foreboding and melancholy, setting the stage for the rest of the poem. The use of imagery in the second stanza, with the description of the voice coming from the wind, creates a sense of the supernatural and the otherworldly. The final lines of the poem, with their stark imagery of a darkling plain and ignorant armies clashing by night, create a sense of despair and hopelessness.
In conclusion, The Voice is a poem that captures the essence of love, loss, and the search for meaning in life. Arnold's use of repetition, imagery, and other literary devices is masterful, and the poem is a testament to his skill as a poet. The final lines of the poem are some of the most famous in all of English poetry, and they capture the sense of despair and hopelessness that the speaker feels. The Voice is a hauntingly beautiful piece that will continue to resonate with readers for generations to come.
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