Matthew Arnold: Poems

The search for faith and stability is a major concerns in Arnold’s poetry. Discuss.

The search for faith and stability is a major concerns in Arnold’s poetry. Discuss.

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The idea of faith is very important in Arnold's work. Faith is the virtue that he believes humans have lost in the modern era, in which they are only focused on working themselves to death. It is notable that faith is not a specifically religious sentiment for Arnold - he often questioned religion - but is rather an essential part of the human spirit that is being wrongfully obscured by the prominence of scientific reasoning. In his famous poem "Dover Beach," he remarks on the disparity between what faith used to be and what faith is now. In "East London," it is the preacher who has managed to keep happiness in his life because of his faith. Overall, faith is an expression of the human spirit, which is naturally different than the demands of the body. Only through faith can humans transcend the world's limitations.