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What is the effect of "is" repetition in lines 1-4 of "Dover Beach"?
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The repetition of "is" in the opening lines of "Dover Beach" contributes to a calming effect, creating a sense of tranquility and stability as the speaker describes the natural scene. This repetitive structure lulls the reader into a false sense of security, which becomes ironic as the poem unfolds to reveal themes of lost faith and human folly. The calmness initially suggested is contrasted with the unsettling realization of ongoing conflict and disillusionment.
To be honest, I'm not sure I see that the repetition of "is," specifically in stanza 1, has any particular effectiveness about it. But the generally repetitive nature of the opening, with its enumeration of the elements of nature before the speaker—the sea, moon, cliffs, and light—has a calming effect, lulling the reader into a false security. We see a simple series of declarative statements about the edifice of nature presented to the speaker. The poem does not begin with the arresting or striking phrases we might expect at the start of a poem. Yet all of this, in the context of what the work becomes as we continue reading, is ironic.
Arnold uses nature as a metaphor for the faith the speaker says man has lost. The opening of "Dover Beach " is somewhat reminiscent of Wordsworth's "It is a beauteous evening, calm and free," but the total...
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impression made by Arnold's poem is the opposite of Wordsworth's. Arnold does not reassure us but unsettles us. The calm repetitions of the opening are deceptive in their tranquility and impression of peace and goodness. Like other Victorian poets, Arnold is alienated by the modern world, though in this case, the reference to the strife of war and ignorant armies is simply a continuation of the past and has nothing specifically modern about it. Perhaps then the ultimate message of the poem is one of continuity, of both the calm of nature and—unfortunately—man's follies.