Dover Beach
by Matthew Arnold 1867

 The sea is calm tonight.
The tide is full, the moon lies fair
Upon the straits; on the French coast the light
Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand
Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.
Come to the window, sweet is the night-air!

Only, from the long line of spray
Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land,
Listen! you hear the grating roar
Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling,
At their return, up the high strand,
Begin, and cease, and then again begin,
With tremulous cadence slow, and bring
The eternal note of sadness in.

Sophocles long ago
Heard it on the Agean, 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

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.

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I learned poems at primary school but never studied poetry at school and I feel that had left a gap in my cultural education. In my late twenties I went to an English Literature night-class in the “Tech” which included some poetry from a collection called “Poems of Faith and Doubt”    
This poem made an impression on me —not for any deep reason to do with faith or doubt but for the description of nature in the first part. Reading this transported me back to an evening about ten years before and a shore in N.W Donegal and the thoughts and feelings I had about the sound of the waves in the shingle, wondering “How can a sound be sad?”  The poem evoked the sounds, sights and even the coolness of a Donegal summer’s evening as well as the feelings and thoughts.
So for me this poem links N.W.Donegal, S.E.England and Greece and makes me realise people in widely separated places can have the same feelings and thoughts —but we need the poets to put them into words for us

He is too pessimistic in the last part—there is “a flow” as well as “an ebb”

I am very appreciative that through U3A I have the opportunity to learn about poetry and fill that educational gap

Brid Gavigan

An ‘Easy Peasy Chinese’ class will start soon
(Day/time and date to be decided)

Mandarin is quite different to Western languages
and it will be a challenge.
So If you are up for something different,
leave your name and contact details with Mavis.
(newryu3a@yahoo.co.uk      028 302 66034)

Where is Mandarin Chinese spoken? Mandarin Chinese is mostly spoken in China, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. It is also widely used in the many Chinese communities (Chinatowns) around the globe. Mandarin Chinese is also one of the six official languages used by the United Nations.

Beginner’s Class:
starts on Monday 20^th February 2012 at 10.30 to 11.30am and runs for 6 weeks. The venue is The Masters House (beside U3A).
Limited places available so book early with Mavis.
(This time slot is for those who have not done this course before.)

Intermediate Class:
starts on Monday 20^th February 2012 at 12noon to 1pm and runs for 6 weeks. The venue is The Masters House (beside U3A).
(This time slot is for those who did this course before Christmas and would like to continue.)

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Feelings, thoughts and beliefs have a direct impact on our health; throughout this six week course you can learn how to use relaxation techniques, breathing practices and positive imagery as effective tools in the management of stress.

Each class will include simple movements for the care of joints; breath awareness practices for a calmer, quieter mind and a guided relaxation for a happier, healthier life.

Tutor:    Marie Quail

Marie is the founder and former director of the Yoga Therapy & Training Centre and the Marie Quail Yoga Studio. She has taught yoga and relaxation nationally and internationally for more than 30 years.