My Last Duchess Flashcards
“My gift of a nine-hundred…..
Years old name”.
” I gave commands …
Then all smiles stopped together
“My last …
Duchess”
“Notice Neptune,though ….
Taming a sea horse”
“Too easily …
impressed”
What is the poem about ?
Shows the mysoginistic nature of the duke of ferrara and society
What are three things we can say about the title of the poem, ‘ my last duchess ‘ ?
- ’ my ‘ is objective
- ‘Duchess ‘ no name for her / shows her lack of importance
- ‘Duchess’ highlights the importance of social hierachy
What does the repetition of the name ‘ Fra pandolf ‘ suggest?
Duke is name dropping famous artist to show his control over the servant
What does ‘ will’t you please look at her ‘ show ?
Sounds polite but shows the tone of power and control over subject
What does the phrase ‘ (none puts by the curtain I have drawn for you but I )’ mean ?
He controls fully of who sees the painting and who she sees . Highlights again the power and control he has over her
What does ‘Not her husbands presence only, called that spot of joy into the Duchess’ cheek ‘ suggest ?
His is jealous of his wife’s attention for other men
What technique is ‘ half flush that dies along her throat ‘ and what does it create ?
Semantic field of death , creating a sinister tone
What is another quote that shows the Duke’s jealousy for the duchess ?
‘Cause enough for calling up that spot of joy ‘
What is one quote that starts with ‘ Too easily impressed …. ‘ and what does this suggest ?
‘Too easily impressed; she liked what’er she looked on, and her looks went everywhere ‘ . Suggests that she was flirting a lot , complaining about her not giving him attention.
When the Duke says that the Duchess was flirting with other men , what could she have just been doing ?
Being friendly
Enjambment is seen as the poem gets to an end , what does this suggest ?
His loss of control and his anger
Finish this quote ‘ She thanked men, - good ! but thanked Somehow ….. . What two techniques are used here and what does this suggest ?
- I know not how - as if she ranked ‘ . The techniques used are repetition and caesura which suggest again that he is losing control and getting frustrated .
What does ‘ my gift of a nine-hundred year name ‘ suggest ?
Hubris and arrogant nature about his family bloodline and history
What technique is used in ‘ I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together ‘ . What does this suggest ?
Cynical harsh ‘c’ sounds show control . This suggests his power and control . It also shows euphemism / clearly shows that she has been killed
What does the phrase ‘ There she stands As if alive. Will’t please you rise ‘ suggest?
Cyclical structure emphasises his point about his control over her . Threat to his future wife .
What does ‘ Notice Neptune, though taming a sea horse’ suggest ?
He is comparing himself to a Roman God and he as this is taming a sea horse . Shows his hubris nature .
The first line starts with ‘ my ‘ and the last line ends with ‘ me ‘ , what technique is this and what does it suggest ?
Cyclical structure shows that he hasn’t changed . Shows narcissism .
What are the feelings and attitudes toward the poem ?
Hubris / pride
Jealousy
Insecurity
Machiavellian
What quotes are there to suggest that the Duke is a hubris character ?
‘My gift of a nine hundred year old name ‘
‘Even you had skill in speech- (which i have not )
‘Notice Neptune though taming a sea horse ‘
What is one poem to compare for theme of power of man ?
Ozymandias
What is one poem that can be compared to using the them of power ?
The prelude
What is one poem to compare the theme of control over others ?
London
What are four things to say about structure in this poem ?
. Dramatic monologue
. Long stanza
. Caesura ,lines and enjambment shows his lack of control
. Poem ends with ‘ me ‘ and ‘ my ‘
