Matthew Arnolds melancholy in life, religion, and love In “Dover Beach,” Matthew Arnold discusses his religious views, the melancholy in his life, and a new love, which he experiences by an isolated individual as he confronts the turbulent historical forces and the loss of religious faith in the modern world. Matthew Arnold’s faith in his religion is lost, and he is awaiting his lost love. He is melancholy. The main theme in Matthew Arnold's, “Dover Beach,” is when an isolated individual experiences anxiety as one is confronted by the turbulent historical forces and the loss of the religious faith in the modern world. Matthew Arnold is an author who strongly voices