Allusion to Poetry

"Dover Beach" is a poem written by Matthew Arnold that was published in 1867. Bradbury included part of this poem in Fahrenheit 451 that represents themes in his novel. Below is an excerpt from the poem:


The Sea of Faith
Was once, too, at the full, and round earth's shore
Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled.
But now I only hear
Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,
Retreating, to the breath
Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear
And naked shingles of the world.

Ah, love, let us be true
To one another! for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night.


In the poem, a couple looks out to sea and listens to the waves. From the sound of the waves, the speaker begins to reflect on the vast world around him. Faith that had once existed has turned to melancholy. All the world lay ahead of them, very beautiful yet full of pain and insecurity. The poem ends on a bittersweet note, as the couple holds on to their love amidst a world of violence and confusion. 

The themes of this poem focus on man's relationship with the world, sadness and suffering, and existential meaning, all of which are present in the Fahrenheit 451. Throughout the novel, Montag tries to find his place in the world after failing to fit into society. The world he lives in has no pain or suffering, only fun parks and giant TVs, called "parlors" that broadcast "the family." Books became illegal after everyone stopped reading them, and no one in their right mind would care about nature. This society creates people who are carefree and "happy," yet they care not about the lives of others. Montag realizes that his life has no meaning, and struggles to find that meaning through books. 

People living in this society seem to be happy, but actually live empty lives. There are many people who commit or attempt suicide, yet others do not know why. Though the people do not suffer hardships, their lives lack any substance.