My last Duchess by Browning Flashcards
(9 cards)
Who wrote My last Duchess?
Browning
What is this poem about?
The Duke points to a portrait of the Duchess (former wife)
The Duke was irate by the Duchess’s friendly behaviour
He ordered a stop to her flirtations; it is heavily hinted that he ordered her murder
It is revealed the the Duke is addressing someone who has come to arrange the Duke’s next marriage
What are the main themes of this poem?
Human power, Pride, Status, Life represented in art
What is the quote that has a possessive pronoun?
My last Duchess painted on the wall’ - ‘My’ possessive pronoun indicating he still feels he has ownership over her. -
Immediately indicates his manipulative and controlling nature. ‘Last’ raise questions around what has happened to her and is the first hint of her death.
‘Duchess’ reinforces how the Duke values his spouse through the title that he gave. Aside from this, he only refers to her using pronouns ‘she’ and ‘her’, stripping her identity as he no longer respects her
What quote is a metaphor?
‘My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name’ - Metaphor; reflects the long lineage and noble heritage that reiterates his strong belief in social hierarchy and his sense of superiority. Noun ‘gift’ demonstrates how he expected her to treat his name with reverence and to recognize the privilege of being his wife. Furthermore, ‘gift’ illustrates the Duke’s belief that his wife was an extension of his status rather than as an individual with her own emotions and thoughts. He expected her to behave in a manner that reflected well on his prestige.
What quote is a Euphemism?
‘I gave commands’ ‘all smiles stopped together’ - Euphemism for the order of the cold and callous murder; like Ozymandias, Browning has the Duke uses an imperative to reiterate his omnipotent demeanour. ‘All smiles stopped’ the caesura reflects the end of the smiles, flirtations, the Duchess’s life and the line itself.
What form is this poem written in?
Dramatic Monologue - (one giant stanza by one narrator in the first person) The Duke has an insatiable desire for power and control as he dominates the narration. He poses question to his guest ‘Willt you please sit and look at her’, but the response is never revealed. Therefore, the Duke is providing a biased account of the story and we are limited to what is and isn’t true.
Iambic Pentameter - reinforces how this is a speech by the Duke. The tight control on the rhythm mimics the Duke’s rigid grip on his servants and his spouse
Poems to compare My last Duchess to?
Ozymandias (Pride & Human power), Checking Out Me History (Abuse of power)
What is the context for this poem?
-Based on Duke Alfonso II of Ferrara (16th century Italy)
-he married a 14 year old Medici duchess who died young-possibly poisoned
-Duke later arranged a new marriage
-in the poem he shows a portrait of his dead wife to a visitor arranging his next match
