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Man and the Natural World
"Dover Beach" is practically overflowing with deep philosophical thoughts, but they are all launched by and rooted in the natural world that the speaker sees all around him. As the speaker pays attention to the sights and sounds of a moonlight night by the ocean, he can't help but ponder Big Ideas about our world's history and its future.
Bummer alert. The speaker of "Dover Beach" argues that all of the beauty of the natural world is an illusion, distracting us from the essential misery of being alive.
While the speaker's conclusions about life are increasingly grim, the beauty of the scenery he describes balances out the darkness of his thoughts. So, you know, life could be worse.
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