" melancholy, long, withdrawing..."See in text(Dover Beach)
This line, with its combination of consonance and assonance, is one of the most musical lines in the poem. The assonance emerges in the repetition of short o sounds, heard in “melan-chol-y,” “long,” and “with-draw-ing.” The consonance occurs in the frequent repetition of the liquid consonants, l and r. These sounds imitate the repetitive cadences of the sea as it washes against the shore.
"eternal note of sadness..."See in text(Dover Beach)
The “eternal note of sadness” emerges from the tide, bolstering the personification of the tide as a human voice singing a song. One note of that song is the “eternal note of sadness.” This note introduces one of the central themes of the poem: the timelessness of human suffering.
The phrase “tremulous cadence” personifies the tide as a human voice. The noun “cadence” refers to rhythmic modulations, whether the rhythms of a voice or of a song or poem. The adjective “tremulous” refers to a trembling quality, granting the voice of the personified tide a sorrowful tone.
