My Last Duchess-Robert Browning Flashcards
Explain some context points of ‘My Last Duchess’
.Ferrara is a region of Italy. In 1561 the Duke of Ferrara’s wife,Lucrezia , died in suspicious circumstances-there were rumours she was poisoned. Hearing about this event probably inspired Browning to write this poem
.Robert Browning was a poet in the 19th century. The son of a wealthy bank clerk but he didn’t fit much into London society, he went to Italy to marry fellow poet Elizabeth Barrett because of her over protective father. As a result they were both familiar with over controlling patriarchs in the family as well as Italy itself
Explain some themes in ‘My Last Duchess’
.The idea of power and conflict is shown in the way the speaker (the Duke of Ferrara) is showing off his power and also suggesting the control he had over the Duchess’s life. This is also conflict between who he presents or wants himself to be and who he really is as a character
Explain the structure in ‘My Last Duchess’
.The poem is an example of dramatic monologue(a speech given by one character). It uses a large number of pauses (caesuras) in the poem along with lines that flow into one another (enjambment) in order to try and capture the tone of the speaker talking away to the messenger and adding in tangents (small opinions and asides). The poem using rhyming couplets and iambic pentameter which reflects the style of romantic poets at the time, despite how this poem is much more sinister and dark. It is another facade for the Duke of Ferrara’s character. He is the only character that speaks despite the fact he is talking to someone, he never lets them speak.
.As a monologue and written in iambic pentameter, it reinforces the impression that the Duke is in conversation with the visitor. The rhyming couplets show the Duke’s desire for control, but the enjambment suggests that he gets carried away with his anger and passions. This creates a picture of a somewhat unstable character, whose obsession with power is unsettling.
The poem is framed by the visit to the Duke’s gallery, but the Duke gets caught up in talking about the Duchess instead of describing the art. The poem builds towards a kind of confession before the identity of the visitor is revealed, and the Duke moves on to talking about another artwork
Explain some further features of the poem
Power and objectification- the Duke felt the need to have power and control over the Duchess. He saw her as another of his possessions, to be collected and admired just like expensive artworks
Dramatic irony- the things the Duke says about the Duchess seem quite innocent, but they often have more sinister meanings for the reader. There’s a gap between what the Duke tells his listener, and what the poet allows us to read between the lines
Status- status is really important to the Duke. He cares about how others see him
What are some of the main feelings and attitudes of the poem?
Pride- the Duke is very proud of his possessions and his status
Jealousy- he couldn’t stand the way the Duchess treated him the same as everyone else
Power- the Duke enjoys the control he has over the painting. He didn’t have this power over the Duchess when she was alive
List the key points of the poem
.The poem is a dramatic monologue with the Duke of Ferrara arranging his new marriage but getting swept up talking about his former wife
.The change in tone is used to show the sinister undertones and power struggle in the relationship, he is the only one truly at conflict here
.The poet ironically shows that his man is rich and educated yet a fool in matters of love and honesty
“That’s my last duchess painted on the wall” “Looking as if she were alive”
The use of the possessive pronoun at the very beginning of the poem highlights the Duke’s power over the Duchess. He talks about her as though she is a possession that belongs to him, among his various other paintings and artworks. Sets a sinister tone. She is used to show of his greater power and control
“She ranked my gift of a nine-hundred year old name with anybody’s gift”
The poet is ironically mocking the Duke’s vanity. He is so caught up in his heritage that he is baffled at how she could not see this “gift” as important. He is proud of his history and his family
“Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands, then all smiles stopped together”
The use of the semicolons has been used by the speaker to emphasise his power. The isolation of his “commands” clearly highlight the control over the Duchess life that he had. The phrase “then all smiles stopped” has a sinister tone to it. We can infer that the Duke had then decided to kill his wife, culminating the conflict in their relationship. This seems to be a euphemism for his wife’s murder.
“Taming a sea-horse, through a rarity”
As with the start he uses an allusion to another famous artist in order to show off his power and his wealth. It is used to show how he quickly forgets about his dead wife who he has previously claimed to be so devoted to. It’s ironic as he had just been talking about how devoted he will be to his new wife. It gives the poem a circular structure
He returns to the subject of his art collection, which emphasises his power and wealth. The story of My Last Duchess is a subtle warning to his visitor about how he expects his next wife to behave
