Question

Who is the silent listener in Dover Beach?

• A. Matthew Arnold's father
• B. Matthew Arnold's wife
• C. The poet’s close friend
• D. The poet’s teacher

Answer 1

Answer:

B. Matthew Arnold's wife

The poem is believed to have been written during Arnold’s honeymoon in 1851. The silent listener addressed in the poem is his wife, Frances Lucy. Arnold appeals to her in lines like “Ah, love, let us be true / To one another!” The presence of the companion highlights the intimate, personal nature of the speaker’s emotional crisis.