my last duchess Flashcards
(10 cards)
what is ht poem about
a duke showing a painting of his dead wife to a visitor
-he praises the artist and dispraises his wife flirting with other men so he orders for her to be killed
-he arranged his next marriage
structure?
-enjambement
-caesura
what is the key idea
the dukes power is undermined by paranoia, insecurity of female sexuality
“looking as if…were…”
-she, alive
-ominous as he views his wife as a piece of art not a person
-objectifies her
“will’t… you sit and… at her?”
-please, look
-the rhetorical question forced the viewer to sit
-duke is in control of who sees her
“her… presence only, called that… of… into the duchess…”
-husbands, spot, joy, cheek
-he expects her joy to come from him, his constant need to assert dominance makes him paranoid
-her life is devoted to him
“too soon made…, too…. …
-glad, easily impressed
-shows dukes jealousy
-she is sociable but he needs to control her
-shallow and unfitting as a woman of her social status
“who’d.. to..”
-stoop, blame
saying eh won’t lower his social status to her as it would show weakness
“notice.. though, taming a …., thought a…
-neptune, seahorse, rarity
-neptune is a god
-men are gods and must tame their wives
-sees his status and wealth as more valuable than anything else
-he is materialistic
” she.. my gift of a.. hundred years old name, with… gift
-ranked, nine, anybody
-shows marriage has no legal rights
-he has status and power and gave her riches but she was not thankful
