#1439. Matthew Arnold poems

Literature, level: all
Posted Sun Dec 12 17:46:43 PST 1999 by Laurie's Education and Resource Network, Inc (canaan@telusplanet.net).
Matthew Arnold
Laurie's Education and Resource Network, Inc, edmonton canada
Materials Required: none
Activity Time: 120 min
Concepts Taught: Problematic vocabulary

This document is accompanied by a 'trailer', or a preliminary study of the document:

A synopsis of the basic plot structure
Character sketches and relationships
Theme
Basic conflicts and their resolution
Mood/atmosphere
Setting
Problematic vocabulary
And a sound file in MP3 format or RealAudio with the complete original
text

Extended Readings include follow up comprehension activities, involving
language specific learning:

What's in an Idiom? A study of idioms encountered in the reading.
The Slang Game A look at any slang used in the text.
A Word by any Other Name Exercises using the problematic/unusual
vocabulary in the text.
Funny or Not? Humor in Focus If the text uses humor, a study looks at
how/why something is funny.
Culture Cachet A look at the culture inherent in the language.

All Extended Readings also include final tests, of which there are two. One test
focuses on the modalities of reading and writing, while the other nurtures the skills of
listening and speaking. Further, Extended Readings are accompanied by a list of
suggested projects or activities that students could do to complete their literary
experience.

DOVER BEACH

The poet is watching the calm waters of the English
Channel. He is thinking about the ocean and the tides
and he is comparing them to the cycles and the tides
of human lives. He wants his lover to come and stand
near him and look at the sea. He knows that the
history of humanity has been one of sadness, loss,
pain, and war. He feels pessimistic about the future of
mankind; he feels that love and fidelity are the only
real things. He asks his lover to be true to him, for all
they have in the entire world is one another.