My last Duchess Flashcards
How does Brownings own life link to the poem
Browning lived in Italy and married Elizabeth Barrett against her fathers permission and secretly hid the wedding from her domineering father
Why is my last Duchess written in another era and country
To make his subverted political message more accepted which ensured a good readership upon publication
What is the form
It is a persona poem which allows Browning to give the reader a message about the wider context of the time
What is the effect of the poem being a dramatic monologue
Shows the domineering presence of the Duke as he dominates the conversation
The rejection of a female narrative reflects the power of women in Victorian society
What is the effect of the possessive pronoun of ‘my’
Shows ownership and property as the Duchess is something he can simply buy And sell with little consequence
What are the patriarchal views of women
Women were firmly situated in the domestic sphere
Women were seen as property upon marriage
What is the effect of the enjambment
Presents the Duke as weak and unbalanced as he is carried away and rambling
Analyse ‘my gift of a nine hundred -year-old name’
Shows he holds status and power within society boasting about this but also a reflection about how the woman is now owned by the husband as she has to take his name
Analyse ‘I gave commands then all smiles stopped together’
Euphemism for her murder and shows the power he has as he can just kill her without consequence
However it also shows the overreaction of the Duke as murder is the symbol of a lack of control, This is reinforced by the sibilance which shows his sinister actions which are unnecessary
Analyse ‘notice Neptune’
Metaphor of Neptune suggests he sees him self as a God this represents the patriarchal views of men seeing themselves as gods as they must tame their wives showing the excessive pride and hubris of the Duke
Duke is materialistic as he condemns her finding nature beautiful but places a statue which Shows how he believes his status and wealth should be seen as more valuable than anything available to the common man
