Dover Beach

"Ode to a Nightingale" by John Keats (1819)

Like many Victorian poets, Arnold was influenced by the Romantic poets, including John Keats. When Arnold wrote “darkling” on Line 35 of “Dover Beach,” he was likely thinking of this Keats ode which begins Stanza 6 with “Darkling I listen […].” The fact that “darkling” is not a very common word and “Dover Beach” is focused on listening and sound suggest Arnold is alluding to Keats.

"Thyrsis" by Matthew Arnold (1866)

The full title of this poem is “Thyrsis: A Monody, to Commemorate the Author’s Friend, Arthur Hugh Clough.” Arnold wrote this poem of mourning after the death of his friend, so “Thyrsis” is, in part, an elegy. It’s also, in part, a nature poem: There are vivid descriptions of the natural world throughout. Many critics believe Arnold is at his best as a poet when he is describing nature, which is exactly what happens at the beginning of “Dover Beach” and throughout “Thyrsis.”

"My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning (1842)

Like “Dover Beach,” “My Last Duchess” is a dramatic monologue written by a Victorian poet. Unlike “Dover Beach,” the rhyme-scheme and meter of “My Last Duchess” are very regular.