Dover Beach

I am intrigued by the "ignorant armies" in the last line of the poem. This poem was written around 1851, right after The Revolution of 1848 in Europe. Although the Revolution did not play a role in Great Britain, I imagine that Arnold was well aware of what was going on through Europe and the rest of the world. During the Revolution there was a series of political upheavals. When I read the "ignorant armies" I wondered if perhaps Arnold was talking about the people who played a role in the Revolution. The last stanza also says that the world "hath neither joy, nor love, nor light... nor help for pain." This is despite the fact that the world "seems to lie before us like a land of dreams." I don't know anything really about Arnold's political ideology, but I wonder if perhaps this poem is in some ways commenting on the political upheavals; maybe he is saying that the Revolution is "ignorant" and leaving the world without "joy," "love," or "light."