Reflection: "Dover Beach" and "How do I Love Thee"

"Dover Beach" uses natural scenes to convey the emotions felt by the poet. The entire poem seems to be the words of one person directly to another. It starts out describing a beach scene at night. It is beautiful yet it conjures up feelings of heartache for the poet and all who hear it. He uses the recessing tide as a metaphor for the recessing faith of humanity. With Darwin and the Industrial Revolution the changes brought forth to the world not long before his time caused people lose their old faith in god. The first stanzas are filled with sadness but the final stanza takes a turn to a slightly cheerier side. The words seem to say that you should never mind the troubles of the world. The world in itself is simply a space to occupy. It is what you make of it, if you let it cause you grief that is because you let it. The events of the world do not actually have some sort of emotion attatched to them-- it is only with in your mind that you associate emotions with them. In "How do I Love Thee?" Elizabeth  Browning writes of the love she posesses for her husband. She lists off all of the ways she loves him. Her love is completely pure. It is so strong that they will continue to be in love even after death.