Why does Mathew Arnold mention Sophocles in this excerpt from "Dover Beach"?

With tremulous cadence slow, and bring

The eternal note of sadness in.

Sophocles long ago

Heard it on the Aegean, and it brought

Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow

Of human misery; we

Find also in the sound a thought,

Hearing it by this distant northern sea.

It enhances the dramatic quality of the poem.

Sophocles drew inspiration from the sea.

It enhances the melancholic tone of the poem.

Sophocles inspires the poet to write.

Question

English

Tomas Carr

27 November, 20:15

Why does Mathew Arnold mention Sophocles in this excerpt from "Dover Beach"?

With tremulous cadence slow, and bring

The eternal note of sadness in.

Sophocles long ago

Heard it on the Aegean, and it brought

Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow

Of human misery; we

Find also in the sound a thought,

Hearing it by this distant northern sea.

It enhances the dramatic quality of the poem.

Sophocles drew inspiration from the sea.

It enhances the melancholic tone of the poem.

Sophocles inspires the poet to write.

+5

Answers (1)

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Lacey Gray · Answer 1

I believe that Mathew Arnold mentions Sophocles in this excerpt from "Dover Beach" because it enhances the melancholic tone of the poem.

He is melancholic because everything is passing by - especially when he is next to a sea flowing into the distance. He remembers Sophocles, a great ancient Greek playwright who wrote tragedies.