Study Guide Questions

How does he plan to spend the rest of his life?

"to sail behind the sunset" and "to strive to seek, to find and not to yield"

Describe what they look at while the Duke talks.

A painting of his last duchess wife who has died, young and lovely

ULYSSES

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

" Old age hath yet his honor and his toil..."

Being old does not mean that one cannot have dignity and still contribute to society.

How do the Duke's words suggest his feelings about Fra Pandolf?

He belittleS the painter and calls his words "stuff"

How does the speaker continue to impart qualities of life to Porphyria after she is dead?

He sees laughter in her eyes, he kisses her and props her smiling rosy little head on his shoulder

" Life piled on life/Were all to little, and of one to me/ Little remains"

Life is too short even when you live it to the fullest.

Why does he mention the bronze statue by Claus of Innsbruck?

Neptune came in a seahorse

Who are the two characters in "Porphyria's Lover"?

Porphyria and her lover

MY LAST DUCHESS

Robert Browning

PORPHYRIA'S LOVER

Robert Browning

Though much is taken, much abides; and though We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are, One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

Though youth and strength may be gone, older people can still have a purpose in life and enjoy living until the end.

" I cannot rest from travel; I will drink life to the lees.."

Ulysses plans to live life to the fullest.

" I am part of all that I have met..."

Ulysses realizes that all people and experiences in his life have become a part of who he is, and he has become of these people himself.

To whom is the Duke speaking?

a agent of another nobleman

To what is life compared in lines 6-7?

a bottle of wine

Metaphor:

a figure of speech that makes a comparison, without the use of a connective such as like or as, between two basically unlike things that have something in common. This comparison may be stated (She was a stone.) or implied (Her stony silence filled the room.).

DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE:

a lyric poem in which the speaker, usually at a critical moment in life, addresses someone whose replies are not recorded.

Where has Porphyria come from?

a party

INFERENCE:

a reasonable conclusion about the behavior of a character or the meaning of an event, drawn from the limited information presented by the author.

Does he decided to leave again? How can you tell?

he appears to depare for departure but he's awareness for age and mortality suggest that his pans just may be day dreams

Why didn't the Duke tell the Duchess how he expected her to behave?

he considered it beneath his dignity

How does Ulysses describe his current activities in the first five lines?

he is old and idle,

How does the above metaphor illustrate Ulysses' attitude toward growing old?

he knows if he remains in active, he will decay, activity will keep him going longer

Explain why Ulysses has a "hungry heart." What is it hungry for?

he likes adventure - he wants more adnevture

What "thing to do" does the speaker find? What does he do afterward?

he strangles her with her own hair and after he opened her eyes and kisses her and props her heard on his shoulder

What do you, as a modern reader, consider the Duke's main fault to be?

he thinks he is better than other, he treats those beneath himself as objects

How does the speaker try to justify his murder to himself and his audience?

he wanted to free his time, and preserve this perfect moment of theirs, and Gods silence seems to condone his act of murder

How does Ulysses characterize his wife and his people?

he wife is ole like he is, his people are savage and rugged

Discuss how the setting fits the tone of Ulysses speech.

its the end of the day which alludes

What is the metaphor in lines 22-23?

life is compared to metal tool or weapon which rust with disuse

Was the marriage of the Duke and the Duchess based on love? Explain.

no, he says that she flirted with everyone and did not appreciate his "gift of a 900- years old name", the dutch cause the duchess early death by giving commands

List the things that gave the Duchess pleasure and explain what they reveal about her personality.

she had a heart "too easily impressed" and "her looks went everywhere", her love of sunsets, the cherry bough that she was presented, and her pet white mule suggest that she was a natural woman who enjoyed the simple pleasures

Why does the speaker respond so coldly to Porphyria's tenderness?

she has refused to marry him

Why, according to the speaker, does Porphyria refuse to marry him?

she thinks she is better and won't give up her family and friends

What does he tell Telemachus to do?

take over my roll as king, settle and sedue the people and pay tribute to the household gods

What sort of report is the listener expected to deliver to the Count?

that the duke is a killer and should not be crossed

Evaluate the contrasting attitudes towards personal responsibility posed by Ulysses' decision.

the poem pits the desire for personal fulfillment against responsibilities to family and society

Describe the condition of the room and the speaker before Porphyria's arrival.

the room is cold, speaker sits alone in the dark-an early indication of his madness

Describe the setting.

the speaker dark cottage on a stormy night

What is the Duke's stated purpose in this conversation?

to arrange another marriage for himself