My Last Dutchess Flashcards
When was it written?
1842
Who wrote this poem?
Robert Browning
What happens at the start of the poem?
The Duke of Ferrara proudly points out a portrait of his late wife to his visitor
What does the Duke start reminiscing about?
About the portrait sessions, although this gives way to bitter thoughts about her ‘disgraceful behaviour’
What did the Duke claim about her?
That she flirted with everyone and did not appreciate his gift of a 900 year old name
What is there a suggestion of in the poem?
That he killed her
What form is the poem in?
Dramatic monologue written in iambic pentameter
What do the rhyming couplets reflect?
The Duke’s tight control over everything
What is the context of the poem?
The Renaissance was a time of when debauched men like the Duke asserted their authority
What is the quote starting with, “None put…”?
“None puts by the curtain I have drawn, but I”
What is the quote starting with, “Calling up…”?
“Calling up that spot of joy”
What is the quote starting with, “She dad…”?
“She had a heart…too soon made glad”
What is the quote starting with, “She liked…”?
“She liked whate’er she looked on”
What is the quote starting with, “She thank…”?
“She thanked men…I know not how”
What is the quote starting with, “My gift…”?
“My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name”
