Dover Beach

"The Sea of Faith
Was once, too, at the full, and round earth's shore
Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled."

The above quote is an example of a simile. The speaker compares faith to a corset, something very commonly worn by upper cast woman during the time that this was written. Corsets were things that sort of held the women together and was a necessity in every day life. To the speaker, faith used to be the same way. It was a part of the world that was key to survival and was essential to every day life. However, "girdle furled" means that the corset lost its purpose and no longer works. This was true of the faith as well. The speaker is saying that everyone lost their faith and that it was no longer as prominent and relevant as it once had been to his society and maybe in his/her own life.