Relationships II
"My Last Duchess" In a moment, you will begin reading the poem titled "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning. Before you begin, brainstorm a list of qualities that you would look for in a loved one. Then, shorten your list to the five most important qualities and keep it to compare and contrast with the qualities you find mentioned in this poem.
"My Last Duchess" Read the poem. As you do, look for the main idea and be prepared to answer questions about the selection. Pay careful attention to the way the speaker characterizes his former spouse and to what these descriptions relate about him.
From "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning . . . never read Strangers like you that pictured countenance, The depth and passion of its earnest glance, But to myself they turned (since none puts by The curtain I have drawn for you, but I) And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst, How such a glance came there; . . .
By explaining that only he opens the curtain in front of the portrait, the speaker indirectly conveys that he is _____. A) possessive and controlling
Place the events from "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning into the order in which they occur.
Frà Pandolf paints a portrait of the duchess. The duke has the duchess killed. The duke shows the portrait to his listener. The duke repeats his requirement for the dowry. The duke points out the bronze rendering of Neptune.
From "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning ... She had A heart—how shall I say?—too soon made glad, Too easily impressed; she liked whate'er She looked on, and her looks went everywhere. Sir, 'twas all one! My favor at her breast, The dropping of the daylight in the West, The bough of cherries some officious fool Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule She rode with round the terrace—all and each Would draw from her alike the approving speech, Or blush, at least. She thanked men—good! but thanked Somehow—I know not how—as if she ranked My gift of a nine-hundred-year-old name With anybody's gift....
In these lines, what complaint does the speaker make about his late wife? A) She was too free with her appreciation and enjoyment of others.
Literary Analysis: Dramatic Monologue A dramatic monologue is a speech, sometimes to a silent listener, in which a single character indicates a setting and a dramatic conflict. In such a monologue, the character reveals his or her innermost feelings without realizing it. Robert Browning perfected the dramatic monologue. His monologues contain the following elements: A speaker who indirectly reveals his or her situation and character A silent listener, addressed by the speaker and implied in what the speaker says
Let's take a closer look at "My Last Duchess" to see how Robert Browning uses these two elements to convey the main idea of his poem. Since the monologue does not contain any stage directions, the poet sets a scene through implication. Read the first four lines of the poem again. The opening word, "That" suggests that the speaker is indicating something to another person. Immediately, interaction between two or more characters is established. The rest of the line explains what he is saying and, because he shares basic information about the painting, implies that he is speaking to a visitor unfamiliar with the piece of art. The information is conveyed in the speech without outside narration, so it remains within the form of the monologue.
From "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning The Count your master's known munificence Is ample warrant that no one just pretense Of mine for dowry will be disallowed; Though his fair daughter's self, as I avowed At starting, is my object. Nay, we'll go Together down, sir! Notice Neptune, though, Taming a sea horse, thought a rarity, Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!
Select the line in this excerpt that is a run-on line. A) The Count your master's known munificence
In "Life in a Love" by Robert Browning, how does the woman feel about the speaker?
She is not in love with him.
Connect to the Essential Question You are about to read two works by Victorian poet Robert Browning. Browning is known for his skillful use of the dramatic monologue. The speakers in his dramatic monologues are sometimes uncertain about their moral beliefs and, sometimes, they are outright wicked. Briefly describe a villain in fiction or film who has captured people's imagination; explain his or her appeal. Browning's monologues were original in the way they adapted dramatic devices to poetry. Note what makes these poems dramatic. This will help you answer the Essential Question: What is the relationship of the writer to tradition?
Summary As the poem begins, the Duke is showing a man a painting of the Duke's first wife, who is now dead. The man is an agent representing the father of the woman the Duke hopes to marry next. The Duke tells the man that his first wife was "too easily impressed" by whatever she saw or whatever anyone did for her. He did not like the way she seemed to rank his "gift" of a great family "name" as equal to "anybody's gift." The Duke "gave commands; then all smiles stopped together." The two men begin to leave. The Duke tells the agent that he knows his demands for an adequate dowry—property due to him as the groom—will be met by the new bride's father.
Which of the two speakers in the poems struck you as the most dramatic?
The duke is perhaps a more dramatic speaker. Browning successfully couples the tradition of the dramatic monologue with the genre of poetry, creating a chilling and memorable villain in the process.
In Robert Browning's poems, how does the speaker's desire to win his beloved in "Life in a Love" differ from the duke's marriage to his first wife in "My Last Duchess"?
The speaker's desire is enduring, but the duke's marriage is short-lived.
Now that you have read the entire poem, let's take a look at some key passages. The opening lines immediately set the stage for the drama of the narrative about to unfold. Re-read the following lines: "That's my last duchess painted on the wall, Looking as if she were alive. I call That piece a wonder, now: Frà Pandolf's hands Worked busily a day and there she stands."
What are the duke and his listener viewing? They are looking at a portrait of the duke's deceased first wife. The speaker even reveals the name of the painter, Frà Pandolf, who completed the piece in a day.
From "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning ... Notice Neptune, though, Taming a sea horse, thought a rarity, Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!
What aspect of the duke is symbolized by the bronze statue of Neptune taming a sea horse? A) his desire to control his wife
From "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning ... Notice Neptune, though, Taming a sea horse, thought a rarity, Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!
What connection does the poet suggest between the way the speaker views the bronze of Neptune and the way he views a wife? A) The speaker views both as possessions that reflect his importance.
From "Life in a Love" by Robert Browning While I am I, and you are you, So long as the world contains us both, Me the loving and you the loth, While the one eludes, must the other pursue.
What do these lines convey about the speaker's pursuit of his beloved? A) He will try to win her love as long as they both are alive.
From "Life in a Love" by Robert Browning But what if I fail of my purpose here? It is but to keep the nerves at strain, To dry one's eyes and laugh at a fall, And, baffled, get up and begin again,— So the chase takes up one's life, that's all.
What do these lines show about the speaker and his attempt to gain the woman's love? A) He will never give up the pursuit of his beloved.
From "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning ... I repeat, The Count your master's known munificence Is ample warrant that no one just pretense Of mine for dowry will be disallowed; Though his fair daughter's self, as I avowed At starting, is my object.
What do these lines suggest is the speaker's true motive in marrying the count's daughter? A) greed
From "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning ... Oh sir, she smiled, no doubt, Whene'er I passed her; but who passed without Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together.
What has happened to the duchess? A) The speaker has had her killed.
In "Life in a Love" by Robert Browning, the speaker compares his relationship with his beloved to _____.
a chase
ample
abundant; liberal
Before you begin reading, let's check your knowledge of critical vocabulary words from the poem. Match each word to its definition. Be sure to copy the definitions into your notebook.
baffled: puzzled; confused; bewildered eludes: avoids or escapes scarce: not plentiful or abundant
The speaker in "My Last Duchess" indirectly suggests his own deeply jealous nature by _____.
criticizing the duchess's attention to anything or anyone but him
countenance
face
In "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning, which technique is not used by Browning to create a sense of dramatic action?
including information about several characters
In "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning, the duke pursues a second wife. His pursuit reveals that, like the speaker in "My Life in a Love," he _____.
is determined to get what he wants
munificence
lavish generosity
officious
meddlesome
Both the duke in "My Last Duchess" and the speaker in "Life in a Love" view women as _____.
objects to be possessed
dowry
property
In "My Last Duchess" and "Life in a Love" by Robert Browning, the poet uses end-stopped lines to _____.
show where the speaker pauses
rarity
the condition of being uncommon or infrequent
In "My Last Duchess," the reader can tell when the speaker and the listener interact because _____.
the speaker asks the listener a question or addresses him
earnest
very serious; determined; sincere
Background Information "Life in a Love" is one of two poems that were published in the same book. Like its counterpart, this is a love poem. However, the persistence expressed by the speaker as he pursues a reluctant woman is questionable to many readers. Attitudes toward the speaker vary widely. Some readers are charmed by his persistence, while others find it sad—or even scary.
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Background Information This poem, set in the sixteenth century in a castle in northern Italy, is based on events from the life of the Duke of Ferrara, a nobleman whose first wife died after just three years of marriage. Following his wife's death, the duke began making arrangements to remarry. In Browning's poem, the duke is showing a painting of his first wife to an agent who represents the father of the woman he hopes to marry.
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Reading Strategy: The Speaker in Poetry The poems "My Last Duchess" and "Life in a Love" by Robert Browning both deal with the subject of love. However, each speaker has a different perspective on love. Sometimes you can better understand the theme of a poem if you compare and contrast speakers in multiple poems. For example, you might gain insights into the selfish, possessive love expressed by the speaker in one poem if you compare it to the deep, abiding love expressed by the speaker in another.
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To give his dramatic monologues a more natural rhythm of speech while still retaining poetic qualities, Robert Browning uses two different types of lines. A run-on line ends where the flow of words forces you to read on without pause. This type of line follows a more natural rhythm and makes the dramatic monologue more lifelike. An stopped line ends just where the speaker would naturally pause. Another look at the four opening lines of "My Last Duchess" illustrates the difference between these two kinds of lines. The first and last lines are end-stopped lines, since they end with natural pauses in speech. The punctuation marks are good indicators of that. The two middle lines, however, are run-on lines, since the content of the lines continues past the break. You should read them without pausing. From "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning That's my last Duchess painted on the wall, Looking as if she were alive. I call That piece a wonder, now: Frà Pandolf's hands Worked busily a day, and there she stands.
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