To Marguerite

To Marguerite: Continued
BY MATTHEW ARNOLD
Yes! in the sea of life enisled,

With echoing straits between us thrown,
Dotting the shoreless watery wild,
We mortal millions live alone.
The islands feel the enclasping ow,
And then their endless bounds they know.
But when the moon their hollows lights,

And they are swept by balms of spring,
And in their glens, on starry nights,
The nightingales divinely sing;
And lovely notes, from shore to shore,
Across the sounds and channels pour—
Oh! then a longing like despair

Is to their farthest caverns sent;
For surely once, they feel, we were
Parts of a single continent!
Now round us spreads the watery plain—
Oh might our marges meet again!
Who order'd, that their longing's re

Should be, as soon as kindled, cool'd?
Who renders vain their deep desire?—
A God, a God their severance ruled!
And bade betwixt their shores to be
The unplumb'd, salt, estranging sea.
About the Poet

Matthew Arnold (1822–1888) was a prominent Victorian poet, critic, and
essayist known for his exploration of culture, religion, and society during a time
of rapid change. His poetry, including works like *Dover Beach* and *The
Scholar-Gipsy*, often re ects themes of loss, faith, and the search for meaning
in a secularizing world. As a critic, Arnold emphasized the importance of
literature as a means to understand and improve society, famously de ning
culture as "the best that has been thought and said." His work bridges
Romanticism and Modernism, making him a key gure in English literature.
Summary of the Poem

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"To Marguerite—Continued" by Matthew Arnold is a Romantic poem rst
published in 1852 titled "To Marguerite, in Returning a Volume of the Letters
of Ortis." Matthew Arnold was a prominent English poet and cultural critic of
the 19th century. His works often grapple with the profound changes and
challenges of the Victorian era, and "To Marguerite—Continued" is no
exception. This poem is also part of a broader Romantic literary tradition that
strongly emphasizes emotions, nature, and individual experience while
exploring the contemporary world of the poet.
The rst stanza begins by establishing the metaphor that human lives are like
islands separated by "echoing straits." Despite the shared existence in this sea of
life, people live in a state of solitude, as if they are stranded on their own
islands. The islands only become aware of their boundaries and connections
when they feel the ow of life and existence, much like the sea surrounding
them. This opening stanza sets the stage for the themes of isolation and longing
throughout the poem.
In the second stanza, the speaker depicts connection and heightened emotion
among the isolated islands of human existence. The moonlight brightens the
hollows of the islands. Spring's soothing in uence sweeps over them, offering a
sense of renewal and comfort. During starry nights, "the nightingales divinely
sing." These lovely notes travel from shore to shore, spanning the gaps between
the islands and momentarily uniting them. This stanza portrays moments of
harmony and connection within the natural world, offering a reprieve from the
islands' solitude, suggesting people who are mostly separated from each other
can still nd some ways to communicate.
In the third stanza, partial communication becomes problematic because it

leads to people wanting full contact. Arnold conveys the deep longing and desire
that arise when the isolated islands of existence experience moments of
connection and harmony, as described in the previous stanza. The stanza
expresses a profound desire that resembles despair as the islands long for a
reunion.
The line "For surely once, they feel, we were / Parts of a single continent!"
re ects the poet's belief that there was a time when people were united as one,
symbolizing a deeper and more meaningful connection. This notion of unity,
now lost, intensi es their longing. The stanza ends with a plea for the possibility
of their shores meeting again. This emphasizes the strong desire for
reconnection and unity among the isolated islands (or people) in the sea of life.
In this poem's rfourth and nal stanza, the speaker takes a step back to wonder
why strong feelings of longing and desire often end up unful lled. He
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rhetorically asks why these intense emotions seem to build and then zzle out
quickly.
Who order'd, that their longing's re
Should be, as soon as kindled, cool'd?
The speaker then suggests that a higher power —"A God,"— is responsible for
this separation. This God has decided that an unbridgeable, salty sea should
exist between the islands, keeping them apart. The salty water of the ocean
symbolically mirrors the tears of loneliness people may feel in their separation.
This implies that the separation and the longing are not random events or
individual decisions but part of a greater plan orchestrated by a divine force.
Themes
Matthew Arnold’s “To Marguerite: Continued”explores the universal human
experience of isolation and the longing for connection, using the metaphor of
islands surrounded by an endless sea. The poem portrays the bittersweet tension
between the human desire for intimacy and the reality of separation that seems
both natural and divinely ordained.
Arnold begins by highlighting the inevitable isolation of human life. He

compares individuals to islands, surrounded by a vast sea that keeps them apart.
The lines:
“We mortal millions live alone.
The islands feel the enclosing ow,
And then their endless bounds they know,”
show how people, despite living among others, are fundamentally alone. This
isolation is not just physical but emotional and spiritual, creating a sense of
loneliness that de nes human existence. The “enclosing ow” of the sea
symbolizes the barriers—distance, misunderstanding, or fate—that prevent
people from truly connecting.
However, the poem also re ects the deep yearning for connection that exists
within all of us. Arnold suggests that there are moments when individuals feel
that they could bridge this distance, moments lled with hope and longing. But
this hope is short-lived, as Arnold points out that separation is not accidental
but part of a larger, divine plan:
“A god, a god their severance ruled!
And bade betwixt their shores to be
The unplumb’d, salt, estranging sea.” Here, Arnold suggests that human
separation is willed by a higher power, perhaps to emphasize individuality or to
test human resilience. Yet, this divine intention leaves humanity feeling
powerless, trapped by forces beyond their control. The “estranging sea” not only
separates individuals but also reminds them of their helplessness in the face of
divine design.
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As the poem unfolds, Arnold’s tone shifts from longing to acceptance. He
resigns himself to the reality that human connection, no matter how deeply
desired, is ultimately limited. In the closing lines:
“Yes! in the sea of life enisled,
With echoing straits between us thrown,
Dotting the shoreless watery wild,
We mortal millions live alone,”
Arnold reinforces the permanence of isolation. The “shoreless watery wild”
emphasizes the vastness of the separation, making unity seem impossible. The
repetition of “live alone” underlines the inescapable truth that solitude is a
fundamental part of life.
The poem’s themes are deeply moving because they re ect a truth that every
reader can relate to. Arnold captures the paradox of human existence: while we
crave connection, we are bound by the barriers of individuality and the
constraints of a larger, divine plan. The melancholic tone of the poem,
combined with its vivid imagery, leaves readers with a profound understanding
of the complexity of human relationships and the bittersweet beauty of longing.
In conclusion, “To Marguerite: Continued” is not just a poem about isolation
but a meditation on the human condition. Arnold shows us how solitude and
connection coexist, creating both pain and meaning in our lives. The poem’s
depth and emotional resonance make it a timeless piece that continues to speak
to readers across generations.
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To Marguerite: Continued

Yes! in the sea of life enisled,

But when the moon their hollows lights,

Oh! then a longing like despair

Who order'd, that their longing's re

About the Poet

Summary of the Poem

In the third stanza, partial communication becomes problematic because it

Arnold begins by highlighting the inevitable isolation of human life. He

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