My Last Dutchess1, Poetry, College Term Papers.com


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Back to Subjects - Poetry

My Last Dutchess1

My Last Dutchess1 Robert Browning, one of the most influential and imaginative poets in our history, engulfs readers in a wave of dramatic language, and colorful character representation in the extremely popular poem: “My Last Duchess”, which stands as one of Browning’s most famous literary pieces. In many ways the tone Browning wishes to convey provides a dark background in which many impressions and interpretations of the Duke and his former Duchess can be assessed. “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” (Kennedy 16). As well, Browning has ingeniously chosen vivid and extraordinary instances through out the poem to hint at obscure character qualities and mysterious moments, that make it seem like the reader is eavesdropping on the personal conversation between the Duke and the nobleman belonging to his new fiancé’s family. Browning, in the first lines of the dramatic poem, uses immense narration to call attention to many facts and details about the Duke’s presence and life, almost acting like an introduction on things to come. For instance, the first five lines of “My Last Duchess” provide the reader with the Duke’s title (Ferrara), historical reference/setting (Italy), as well as his aristocratic class and environment. With the Duke the main speaker, it is only assumed that he is the only person telling the story of his power and favorable last duchess, showing off her life-like portrait as a trophy. “That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall, looking as if she were alive…will’t please you sit and look at her?” (Kennedy 15-16). It is noticed that Browning has used the past tense in this monologue to describe the life-like portrait on display, using words like ‘last’, and ‘were’ for significance regarding the true fate of the Duchess. As this masterful dialogue continues, the reader comes to the reality that in fact the Duke is responsible for the Duchess’s early demise: “I gave commands; then all smiles stopped together. There she stands as if alive” (Kennedy 16). Having the Duke hint at the Duchesses demise with his last remarks, he intently returns to the business at hand: the arrangement of his marriage to a new young girl. In a way the Duke is nonchalantly brushing off the fate of the Duchess, as if she were just an intricate piece of artwork in his gallery. Have you note, as the Duke walks past the portrait, he is eager to point out many other valuable pieces of artwork, as if to say that solely he owns each piece of artwork, including the portrait of his last Duchess. “Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though. Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity, which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me” (Kennedy 17)! By creating a dark and mysterious character, such as the Duke, Browning envelopes his audience in a picturesque landscape, masking the horrific qualities the Duke possesses. With some further research, this specific historical background was set during the Italian Renaissance, inspiring and fascinating Browning in his creation. The Italian Renaissance represented “the flowering of the aesthetic and the human” (Watson 133). Offering this setting to imply the complications and intrigue with human sexuality and male domination during the Renaissance time period. Concluding, nevertheless, that the Duke continuously punished his former Duchess for expressing her natural sexuality: “Such stuff was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough for calling up that spot of joy” (Kennedy 16). Hence, the reason there can be seen a “faint half-flush that dies along her throat” (Kennedy 16), giving the exact evidence of abuse committed by the Duke. It is assumed with the violence in the middle lines of the poem that the Duchess, nevertheless, falls victim to the Duke’s desire to extinguish her life. “Just this or that in you disgusts me; here you miss, or there exceed the mark – and is she let herself be lessoned…” (Kennedy 16). “The Renaissance was a time when morally dissolute men like the Duke exercised absolute power” (Watson 135), explaining why Browning chose the dark concept of male domination and control in “My Last Duchess”. I find that attention needs to be placed as well upon the life-like portrait of the former Duchess, representing the Dukes abusive ways. The portrait is said to be a successful description of the beautiful Duchess because it captures her elegant passion and natural beauty- evident in line eight: “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)” (Kennedy 16). Most men who gazed at her madly adored her and by having her portrait enclosed by a curtain, opened and closed at the Dukes command, he is able to regulate who sees his former Duchess, controlling her still even in death. Therefore, realizing why the Duke is so jealous and overprotective of his flirtatious beauty, seeing now why many men basked in her presence. “The bough of cherries some officious fool broke in the orchard for her…she thanked men, - good! But thanked somehow – I know not how – as if she ranked my gift of nine-hundred-years-old name with anybody’s gift” (Kennedy 16). Upon further inspection, lines 14-15, the reader understands the feelings the Duke possesses about his former Duchess’s downfalls, masking his tone of anger. “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” Upon analyzing and critiquing this particular piece of poetry, the Duke is made to be quiet a performer of sorts to the reader. More clearly stated, he is able to use his own force and brutality to make horrific information seem extremely colorful and merely enchanting: “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…” (Kennedy 16). The audience, however, is suggested but is never actually addressed, giving the reader the feeling of spying upon the powerful Duke’s conversation with his visitor. But the speaker in this dramatic monologue is clearly visible and established from the poet by introducing the Duke and his favorable last Duchess at the very beginning of the poem. “I call that piece a wonder, now; Fra Pandolf’s hands worked busily a day, and there she stands” (Kennedy 15). Hence, Browning’s true aim while writing “My Last Duchess” was the true personality of the Duke and revelation of his violent crime that is recognized. The true intentions of the Duke and his visitor are now found out, unmistakably repeating the abusive cycle once more with the Duke’s marriage to a new young girl. There will be the presence of a new Duchess within the Duke’s aristocratic palace, possibly awaiting the same fate as the former Duchess had once before. “Well meet the company below, then. I repeat, the Count your master’s known munificence is ample warrant that no just pretense of mine for dowry will be disallowed; though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed at starting, is my object” (Kennedy 17). Bibliography: Works Cited Kennedy, X.I., and Dana Gioia. An Introduction to Poetry. New York: Longman, 2002. Watson, J.R., ed. ‘Men and Women’ and Other Poems. London: MacMillan, 1974.

Word Count: 1204