My Last Duchess Flashcards
What is his poem about?
Dramatic monologue showing off his art to an emissary visiting to arrange his next marriage, voice of Duke Ferrara -his wife died in 1561 due to suspicious circumstances and there were rumours she was poisoned
How does the poem begin?
‘That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall, // Looking as if she were alive. I call’ Possessive pronouns reveal the Duke to be controlling (he doesn’t only own the picture he owns the Duchess herself), the caesura (full stop) after alive reveals the Duchess’ life has stopped
Where is the theme of Appearance vs Reality introduced?
Near the beginning ‘Will’t please you sit and look at her?’ Rhetorical question provokes arrogance- it sounds polite but there is an underlying element of command and forcefulness. This punctuation doesn’t end the line he proceeds to say ‘I said // ‘Fra Pandolf’’ which reveals he doesn’t give his visitor a chance to speak and now he name drops the expensive painter to showcase what he owns
Identify a metaphor near the middle of the piece, what does it reveal?
‘Half-flush that dies along her throat: such stuff’. Pre modifying quantifier reveals she only had half of the Duke’s affections and was lesser than him, ‘dies’ and the caesura (something coming to a stop) foreshadows the Duchess’ eventual death. ‘Flush’ could portray her embarrassment at compliments whereas Duke sees it as shame over her flirtatiousness, ‘flush’ seems innocent against ‘dies’ which contrasts her against the controlling Duke
Where is the volta?
Near the end of the piece ‘Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands; // then all the smiles stopped together. There she stands // as if alive. Will’t please you rise?’ He sounds suspicious of her which provides a motive for her murder ‘I gave commands’ could suggest he ordered someone to kill her. Caesura occurs after the words ‘stopped’ and ‘alive’ which portrays lives being stopped
What do the rhyming couplets reveal?
Duke’s desire for control
What does enjambment reveal?
‘Too soon made glad, // too easily impressed; she liked whate’er // she looked on, and her looks went everywhere’ He gets carried away with his anger and passions (he can’t stand that she treated him the same as everyone else) meaning he metaphorically reveals more about himself than he does the painting, he doesn’t give anyone else a chance to speak
Identify a use of anaphora
‘-E’en would be some stooping; and I choose // never to stoop’ Hints at how he felt the Duchess was below him, he is so proud that even criticising his wife would be below him as she should know how to behave. He uses I-centric language to reveal he is so filled with self importance
When is it revealed that he is arranging his next marriage?
Very close to the end which suggests she will be insignificant to him just like his last duchess ‘no just pretence // of mine for dowry will be disallowed’
How does the poem have a cyclical structure?
The tour resumes after the reveal of information that he (most likely) killed his wife, as though nothing has happened. This is ominous as it insinuates the fate of his next Duchess will be the same, the story of his last Duchess is a subtle warning about how he will expect her to behave
How does the poem end?
‘Notice Neptune, though, // taming a seahorse, thought a rarity, // which Clause of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!’ Neptune is omnipotent which suggests the Duke’s self image but seahorses are tiny and helpless (he viewed the Duchess as small and irrelevant to him) this could be ironic as it makes the Duke seem weak and bullying. The ending is based upon his art collection and the last word is ‘me’ which reveals the impression he wants to leave is one of wealth and importance, confirms that the story of his Last Duchess is over she is now just a possession in his art collection
How could you connect this poem to Ozymandias?
The idea that too much pride can lead to arrogance
