What is my last duchess about. What is the poem My Last Duchess by Robert Browning about? 2022-10-15
What is my last duchess about
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"My Last Duchess" is a dramatic monologue written by Robert Browning in 1842. The poem is narrated by the Duke of Ferrara, who is giving a tour of his palace to a representative of a potential marriage partner for his daughter. As he shows off his art collection, the Duke stops in front of a portrait of his last wife, the Duchess.
The Duke begins by praising the beauty and charm of the Duchess, describing her as "too soon made glad" and "too easily impressed." However, as the monologue progresses, it becomes clear that the Duke was deeply jealous and possessive of his wife. He implies that she was unfaithful to him and that he had to take action to protect his honor. The final lines of the poem reveal that the Duke had the Duchess killed because of her perceived infidelity.
The theme of "My Last Duchess" is the dangerous combination of power and jealousy. The Duke's wealth and status give him the ability to control and manipulate those around him, including his wife. His jealousy and possessiveness lead him to eliminate anyone who threatens his sense of control, even if it means committing murder. The poem is a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked power and the destructive effects of jealousy.
The dramatic monologue form of the poem allows the reader to gain insight into the Duke's character and motivations through his own words. The Duke's pride, entitlement, and lack of remorse for his actions are all revealed through his casual and matter-of-fact way of speaking about the death of his wife. The poem is a chilling example of how power and jealousy can corrupt and twist the human psyche.
Analysis of the Robert Browning Poem 'My Last Duchess'
Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem. He left her after one year of marriage, and she died 2 years later, at only 17. There she stands As if alive. The artist can only remind us, or teach us, to appreciate the beauty that exists naturally all around us. Whereas the duchess looked favorably on all manner of things, the duke had—and continues to have—a far more hierarchical perception of the world.
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What is the purpose/message of "My Last Duchess," and how is this message conveyed?
Now he is looking for someone new. He abhors stooping because he would lose face and also needs to control the eyes of others. If the Duchess smiled everywhere, could her smiles be stopped by anything short of death by execution? And she received gifts from her husband as well as common people. Line 21 — 24 She had A heart—how shall I say? He uses his power and might to crush those who oppose or displease him. The Duke rhetorically addresses his guest.
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My Last Duchess by Robert Browning
He is irritated that she does not seem to see the value in what he gives to her, or that she seems to value the simple pleasures of life as much as she values his expensive gifts to her. Everything made her glad and impressed. Before they head downstairs, the duke asks the addressee to look at one more artwork: a bronze sculpture of Neptune taming a "sea-horse. For a Victorian woman to be morally good, she must embody "sensitivity, self-sacrifice, innate purity. Browning got inspired to write this poem by the history of Alfonso II, the fifth Duke of Ferrara who married Lucrezia de Medici in 1558 when she was only 14.
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My Last Duchess Summary
Browning has presented the character of a duke who wants to rule his woman with an iron fist. As they look at the portrait of the Duchess, the Duke describes her happy, cheerful and flirtatious nature, which had displeased him. Line 9 — 13 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. But when the situation remained unchanged, he killed her by order. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
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My Last Duchess Analysis
This man seems more and more psychotic and controlling as My Last Duchessgoes on. Two additions to an otherwise helpful analysis: First, a duke is higher than a count, so if the count could marry his daughter to a duke, he would be raising his own status and that of his whole family very considerably. Note that the Duke refers to his last Duchess painted on the wall, not his first: and we have an unsettling feeling that this next duchess may not be his last, either. Browning uses these suspicious circumstances as inspiration for a poem that dives deep into the mind of a powerful Duke of Ferarra who wishes to control his wife in every aspect of her life, including her feelings. The Duke also thinks he is superior to the Duchess in terms of family heritage and he gives her the nine-hundred-year-old name with which the aristocracy, power and prestige of his centuries old family are associated.
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My Last Duchess Poem Summary and Analysis
The definition of bipolar disorder is an affective disorder characterized by periods of mania alternating with periods of depression, usually interspersed with relatively long intervals of normal mood. Though the words of the Duke seem to indicate a painting on the wall, the phrase opens up a plethora of meaning when uttered by the reader. After realizing how much she cares for him, however, the speaker strangles Porphyria and then props her lifeless body up beside him. He talks about his late wife and details the reasons why he did not like her. Too soon made glad" He goes on to say that his complaint of her was that not only her husband's presence was that made her happy. Stated simply, he feels that some things are better than others and that he, the duke of Ferrara, is one of the best things of all.
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A Short Analysis of Robert Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’
The Duke starts recalling the portrait sessions and the Duchess. He was annoyed that she liked everything that she looked at. After her death, the duke got married with Barbara, the niece of the Count of Tyrol. In the poem, the Duke was disgusted at the attitude of the Duchess who could not understand and value his gift — a place in a noble family nine hundred years old. Being a Duke, her husband tried to prevent her from doing common activities.
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My Last Duchess: Duke's Personality Analysis
But was the real duchess similarly viewed as an object by her husband? Robert Browning reveals that this mentality was widespread during this time. Throughout the poem, individuals begin to realize the real issue with the Duke. The poem itself displays a similar dynamic to that of the Innsbruck bronze. Artist Fra Pandolf painted it beautifully and the Duchess looks alive in the picture. The statue is of Neptune taming a sea horse.
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The Meaning and Origin of ‘That’s My Last Duchess Painted on the Wall’
This model of art is reflected in the portrait of the duchess, the bronze Neptune, and the poem itself. She looked at everything and was easily captivated by whatever she saw. Why was she killed? After that, he casually gets back to the business at hand. By positioning her there, he directs and controls those who see her and controls the narrative his chosen audience is fed. The Poems of Browning: 1841—1846. I call That piece a wonder, now; The speaker of the poem draws our attention to the portrait of his last Duchess hanging on the wall. Who once ever knew that back in the old ages, people got jealous.
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My Last Duchess
The Duke did not like that she would blush at the flirtations of another man. The original title of the poem was Italy. The poem conveys this message through the use of dramatic Through the Duke's words, the envoy and the audience learn that the Duke would be a very dangerous person to marry. The Duke wants to raise sympathy for himself as he talks about his wife. She thanked everyone and the Duke had no problem with that. Being wealthy, he should be able to provide any reasonable dowry for his daughter to bring to the marriage.
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