My Last Duchess Flashcards
Who is the speaker and what does he talk about?
The duke is the speaker, as he shows a visitor around his palace, he stops before the portrait of the late duchess. He claims she flirted with everyone and did not appreciate his gift of ‘a nine-hundred year-old name’.
How is power presented in the poem?
A powerful, controlling man who decides who sees his painting and who doesn’t.
How is conflict presented in the poem?
The outward persona of the man versus the truth which hides behind his words - the rhetorical question ‘how shall i say?’ - trying to be polite, hidden meaning of desperation to show power as well as anger.
What’s the key quotation in the poem and what does it suggest?
‘That’s my last duchess’ - possesive pronoun ‘my’ suggests attitude of ownership.
What is a link to another poem?
Ozymandias, both poems have one clear, distinct voice. Ozymandias was incredibly powerful in it’s time, the Duke is powerful in society of his time and demonstarted personal power by killing his wife.
What is the structure of the poem?
There are no stanzas, fulled of enjambment, almost like it’s going on forever which emphasises the Duke’s desperation, and the power that he once had. Further emphasises his arrogance.
