In 'Dover Beach', what does the 'Sea of Faith' represent in the context of the Victorian era?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A once-universal religious certainty now retreating
The 'Sea of Faith' represents the once-stable and universal religious conviction that Arnold felt was retreating due to the rise of Darwinism and higher criticism. Its withdrawal leaves the world in a state of spiritual nakedness and confusion.
Keep practicing
More Matthew Arnold questions
- Arnold’s 'Culture and Anarchy' categorizes the English middle class as which of the following?
- What 'touchstone method' did Arnold propose for evaluating the quality of poetry?
- Which elegiac poem did Arnold write to commemorate his friend Arthur Hugh Clough?
- What are the two primary qualities Arnold advocates for in 'Culture and Anarchy'?
- Which poem depicts a young man who leaves Oxford University to join a wandering tribe of nomads?
- In 'The Function of Criticism at the Present Time', Arnold defines the best criticism as: