VICTORIAN POETS:

Robert Browning (1812-1889)

"My Last Duchess”

INDEX:

ﻣ Introduction

ﻣ Poem: "My Last Duchess”

ﻣ Analysis of the poem:

1. Title

2. Themes

3. Structure

4. Style

a. Communicative structure

b. Cohesion

c. Lexis and Semantics

d. Rhythm and rhyme

ﻣ Personal interpretation

ﻣ Conclusion

ﻣ Bibliography

Introduction:

In this paper, I’m going to analyze a poem called My Last Duchess, which is considered one of the most important dramatic monologues of Robert Browning. In the 1830's Browning began to discover the dramatic monologue in which he took a single character in order to reveal readers more of himself, his own feelings and thoughts. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Browning)

The poem was included in his famous work on poetry called Dramatic Lyrics, published in 1842, although it was written long time before. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramatic_Lyrics)

Robert Browning (1812-1889) wrote this poem during the Italian Renaissance, while he was looking for information about Sordello (who also appear in one of his most important poems written in 1840, which has the character’s name as title), in that travel, he read abut Alfonso II d'Este, fifth Duke of Ferrara (1533-1597), who is thought is the speaker of the poem. (http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/rb/duchess/duchess.html)

Reading the poem, we can see how Browning made a psychological portrait of the Duke of Ferrara, which is inspired by his general notions of Italian court as he was by any specific individual, being an actual historical figure behind the poem. (http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/rb/duchess/pva313.html)

Poem:

My Last Duchess (1842)

Ferrara

That's my last Duchess painted on the wall,
looking as if she were alive. I call
that piece a wonder, now: Frà Pandolf's hands
Worked busily a day, and there she stands.
Will't please you sit and look at her? I said                                                5
"Frà Pandolf" by design, for never read
Strangers like you that pictured countenance,
The depth and passion of its earnest glance,
But to myselfthey turned (since none puts by
The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)                                                        10
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                                                    15
Frà 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                                         20
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,                                                  25
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,                                    30
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                                                        35
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                                                       40
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;                              45
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                                                        50
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,                                              55
Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!

(http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/rb/duchess/duchess.html)

ANALYSIS OF THE POEM:

1. Title:

Browning called this poem My Last Duchess, which name implies that who is going to talk or to appear in it is the husband of this Duchess, because he says “my”.

He put the word “last” inside the title referring to the Duchess, because when the poem was written and also at the moment of the action of the poem, the Duchess was already dead. But, he also says this because she was the really last wife (the third) of the Duke of Ferrara, who is the supposed speaker.

2. Theme:

The main theme in this monologue is related to the painting of the dead Duchess of the title. The author uses this painting to make a chain with all the other themes that appear in the poem, all related to the Duchess and her past life with the Duke, full of luxury and, in which she had achieved all she wanted.

3. Structure:

My Last Duchess is a 56 line-poem written in 28 rhymed couplets, in iambic pentameter structure. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Last_Duchess)

As an introduction of the poem, Browning put the word “Ferrara”, which was the land where the Duke lived; and, that word is one of the things that make us think Browning was talking about this Duke. Although, there are some more things that provoke that impression, as we are going to see.

There are some examples of the jealousy that impregnates the Duke about the Duchess’ behavior. He insinuates in some parts that she cheated on him with other men. As for example, from lines 5 to 9, when he tells us the conversation he had with Frà Pandolf (the painter) to look at the picture, looking “the dept and passion of its earnest glance” (l.8) of his painting. And so, he also said that “the spot of joy into the Duchess cheek” (l. 14, 15) was not only because he was there, but insinuating that it is because of the presence of the painter. He describes her saying that her heart makes crazy everybody; and, that she always had all she wanted from men (l. 21-29). And, he also insinuates that she had lovers in the lines 31 and 32, where he said: “she thanked men…but thanked somehow –I know not how”.

Reading the poem we think that he is directly talking to us, but as we can read from line 21 to 29, we concerned that he is talking with his father-in-law, because he says in line 52: “his fair daughter’s self”.

Finally, in the 5 last verses we can see how the Duchess is treated as an object, because he compares “Neptune taming a sea-horse” (l. 54,55) with her, saying that “his fair’s daughter’s self…is my object”. He is as an object, as the statue of Neptune.

4. Style:

a. Communicative structure:

The poem has a 1^st person speaker, which is the Duke. And as it is a monologue, the poem has a direct speech inside which there are some examples of indirect speech, as we can see in lines 5 an 6:

Will't please you sit and look at her? I said

"Frà Pandolf" by design...

we also can see that through lines 16 to 19:

Frà 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"...

but also, between line 37 and 39:

                      ...say, "Just this
                                  Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss,
                                  Or there exceed the mark"...

This poem is full of verbs in the past simple tense, as for example: were (l.2), came (l.12), thanked (l.31), or stopped (l.46); that is because the speaker is telling us the past, when his wife was still alive.

But, there are some more temporal structures, such as:

ﻣ Present simple: stands (l.4), disgusts (l.38), repeat (l.48), etc;

ﻣ Present perfect: have drawn (l.10);

ﻣ Future simple: will...sit (l.5), will...rise (l.47), we’ll...meet (l.47), etc.

There are lots of active sentences all around the text, but there are some that are constructed in a passive way. Some of them are: she let herself be lessoned (l.39-40), will be disallowed (l.51).

The most common use of the expressions is the informative or expressive sentence, but here there are some questions (rhetorical questions), as for example: Will't please you sit and look at her? (l.5), how shall I say? (l.22), Will't please you rise? (l.47); and some exclamations, such as: Sir, 'twas all one! (l.25), or: (l.54-56)

                      ...Notice Neptune, though,
                                  Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,
                                  Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!

b. Cohesion:

Most (or, maybe all) of the sentences in the poem are very long sentences as we can see in examples such as:

Will't please you sit and look at her? I said

"Frà Pandolf" by design, for never read

Strangers like you that pictured countenance,

The depth and passion of its earnest glance,

But to myselfthey 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...

Or, a long sentence that there is between line 25 and 31:

...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...

These sentences are full of connectors; some of these (which are very repeated) are: and (lines 4, 20, 29, 37, etc); but (lines 9, 10, 31, 44); or (lines 17, 31, 39). There are some more as: if (l.39) or though (l.54), which appear only once.

The apparition of the juxtaposition structure is also used all around the text. One example is: (lines 25-28)

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...

There are some rhetorical devices, such as the repetition of words. I have found some examples of it, as for example: alive (lines 2 and 47), stands (lines 4 and 46) or spot of joy (lines14-15 and 21).

There is one comparison in the poem. The Duke compares his dead wife with Neptune’s sea- horse, saying that she is his object. So, he compares her with an object.

c. Lexis and semantics:

If we read carefully and pay attention in some sentences we will find some semantic fields, such as: stooping (l.42), stoop (l.43), related to stoop; smiled (l.43), smile (l.45), smiles (l.46), related to smile.

As well as semantic fields, I have also found a pair of lexical fields: there are some words related to the rural life: mule (l.28), rode (l.29), terrace (l.29), orchard (l.28); and some more related to the relationships between relatives: husband (l.14), daughter (l.52).

It is a Victorian poem, written in the 19^th century, we can find some archaic words, such as: mantle (l.16), forsooth (l.41), nay (l.53). and, there are also some more archaic abbreviations, as for example: will’t (l.5 and 47), ‘twas (l.13 and 25) which are very strange for us.

d. Rhythm and rhyme:

The poem My Last Duchess is a rhymed poem whose rhyme is divided in pairs, and its diagram is AABB CCDD...

PERSONAL INTERPRETATION:

After reading the poem a lot of times and after doing this analysis, my opinion about the poem has changed. The first time I read the poem I think that it was a very strange poem because of its strange structure. It seems to be a story, where the speaker were talking directly to us, making questions and thinking about what was his life when his wife was alive. What I thought was a sad love-story about a jealous Duke that had passed through a difficult situation in which ha had lost his lover, his wife.

But, at the third or fourth reading, concentrating on some words that I had not understand the first time I read them, and after looking for information about the real Duke and his dead wife; I understood what Browning tried to tell us with this poem. I think he wrote My Last Duchess in order to tell people that the jealous Duke was who really killed the Duchess, because after reading and analyzing the comparison between her and an object, I think that the Duke treated her really as an object, as if he could do whatever he wanted with her. Because as he says in lines 45 to 47:

...I gave commands;

Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands

As if alive...

In which verses he tried to explain us that after some time doing whatever she wanted, he got tired and changed the laws. Here he says that after giving his commands she stopped smiling, and then he is in the picture as if alive, what I think tries to explain that he got tired about her and finished it by killing her.

CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, I have to say that I have chosen this poem because of its topic, as I have said in the personal interpretation, what I thought it was a sad love-story. And looking for information I read that it was included in the genre of the dramatic monologue, but it was inspired in the real story of an assassin duke, the killer of his own wife.

In order to sum up, Browning wrote this dramatic monologue in order to explain his own feelings and motivations, all influenced by difficult situations. When we read one of that poems we need to introduce ourselves into the story, as if we were the speaker. A dramatic monologue has to keep some requirements, and has a speaker and an implied auditor.

The dramatic monologue was a very extended type of lyric, which was used by some Victorian poets, such as Robert Browning, Alfred Tennyson and Dante Rossetti.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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