My Last Duchess
-Robert Browning
Background information about the Poet
Best Poems: Robert Browning is a great Victorian poet, some of his famous poems include: “My Last Duchess”, “The Pied Piper of Hamelin”, “Porphyria’s Lover”, “Hilde Roland to the Dark Tower”, “The Lost Leader”, “Meeting at Night”, “Fra Lippo Lippi”, and “The Labora''.
Genre of the poem
Dramatic monologue:It is a type of poem in the form of a speech or narrative by an imagined person,in which the speaker inadvertently reveals aspects of their character while describing particular situation or series of events.
Features of dramatic monologue
1. A single person or character is delivering a speech on the aspect of his life and surroundings.
2. The audience might or might not be present in front of the speaker.
3. The speaker or personality reveals his temperament.
Summary
That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall,
Looking as if she were alive. I call
That piece a wonder, now: Fra Pandolf’s hands
Worked busily a day, and there she stands.
Will’t please you sit and look at her? I said
“Fra Pandolf” by design, for never read
Strangers like you that pictured countenance,
The depth and passion of its earnest glance,
But to myself they turned (since none puts by
The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)
And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst,
How such a glance came there; so, not the first
Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, ’twas not
Her husband’s presence only, called that spot
Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek: perhaps
Fra Pandolf chanced to say “Her mantle laps
Over my lady’s wrist too much,” or “Paint
Must never hope to reproduce the faint
Half-flush that dies along her throat”: such stuff
Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough
For calling up that spot of joy. She had
A heart—how shall I say?—too soon made glad,
Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er
She looked on, and her looks went everywhere.
Sir, ’twas all one! My favour at her breast,
The dropping of the daylight in the West,
The bough of cherries some officious fool
Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule
She rode with round the terrace—all and each
Would draw from her alike the approving speech,
Or blush, at least. She thanked men,—good! but thanked
Somehow—I know not how—as if she ranked
My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name
With anybody’s gift. Who’d stoop to blame
This sort of trifling? Even had you skill
In speech—(which I have not)—to make your will
Quite clear to such an one, and say, “Just this
Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss,
Or there exceed the mark”—and if she let
Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set
Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse,
—E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose
Never to stoop. Oh sir, she smiled, no doubt,
Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without
Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands;
Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands
As if alive. Will’t please you rise? We’ll meet
The company below, then. I repeat,
The Count your master’s known munificence
Is ample warrant that no just pretence
Of mine for dowry will be disallowed;
Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed
At starting, is my object. Nay, we’ll go
Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though,
Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,
Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!
According to the poem title,"My Last Duchess",by Robert
Browning,A Duke of Ferrara who has been recently widowed is sharing a conversation with a messanger who has come on behalf of a powerful family to meet the Duke to negotiate the Duke's marriage.While the Duke showed the palace to the messanger,he came across with a portrait(painting)of his former wife,the last duchess hanging on the wall.He then starts recalling the portrait session and the Duchess.He says that the beautiful portrait was done by the painter known as Fra Pandolf.He then starts talking about his former wife.He says that she was very young and charming but she didnt had the qualities of a queen as she used to smile at everything she saw.He claims that she had a disgraceful nature and smiled everytime.He says that she was lucky that she was married to a Duke(that is him)and get to become a Duchess.He was really offended with his former wife's personality of always smiling at everything so one day, he decides to teach her a lesson on whh she shouldn't smile at everything by commanding his men to kill her.Therefore,he killed his own wife but after revealing all these things to the messanger,he walks casually and accompanies the messanger back. He even showed another art piece to the messanger while accompanying him back,acting as if everything was very normal.
Reflection
The title of the dramatic monologue,"My Last Duchess",by Robert Browning,itself is an overarching irony,as the monologue doesn't really talk about the Duke's last Duchess but it talks about how he used to possess and controll his former wife and finally killed her.The poet has given a strong title to the poem and had even used a rhyming scheme.The poet has coveyed strong themes through the monologue such as pride and jealousy,art and truth,etc.This monologue best shows how a Duke reveals his brutal character to the othe people.Overall,this dramatic monologue is the best to read.
Group members
1.Deeya Chhetri
2.Ismita Gurung
3.Januki Rai
4.Sonam Tobgyal Lepcha
5.Tashi Tshering Dorji
