Question

read this excerpt:
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.
— matthew arnold, \dover beach\
what is arnold comparing to \human misery\ in this excerpt from \dover beach\?
a. the dark side of the moon
b. the rise and fall of the sea
c. the ideas of sophocles
d. a boat on the aegean sea

Explanation:

In the excerpt, the line "the turbid ebb and flow / Of human misery" and the context of the Aegean Sea (and later the northern sea) show that the "ebb and flow" (rise and fall) of the sea is being compared to human misery. Option A is irrelevant, C refers to Sophocles' thoughts not the comparison, and D is not mentioned as the comparison.

Answer:

B. The rise and fall of the sea