Robert Browning:His Life and

“My Last Duchess”

By:Candice McLane

Nancy LeeBrett Freithaler

Robert Browning:His Life and

“My Last Duchess”

By:Candice McLane

Nancy LeeBrett Freithaler

The uncut version

Identify this quote

2:You're saying this only to make me go1: I'm saying it because it's true. Inside of us, we both know you belong with Victor. You're part of his work, the thing that keeps him going. If that plane leaves the ground and you're not with him, you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life. 2: But what about us? 1: We'll always have Paris. We didn't have, we, we lost it until you came to Casablanca. We got it back last night. 2: When I said I would never leave you. 1: And you never will. But I've got a job to do, too. Where I'm going, you can't follow. What I've got to do, you can't be any part of. Ilsa, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that. Now, now... Here's looking at you kid.

Casablanca

Poetic Technique: Dramatic Monologue

• Dramatic Monologue is a poetic form in which a single character, addressing a silent auditor at a critical moment, reveals himself or herself and the dramatic situation.

• Helps the reader learn about the speaker (the Duke) and reveal their true feelings

Facts about Robert Browning• He was intellectual. He read at the

age of 5 and composed his first poetry at the age of 6.

• Married a poet, Elizabeth Barrett, who praised him and his works which, in turn, gained recognition

• Buried in Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey

• 1881 in London, the Browning Society was established for the study of his poems

Facts about Robert Browning *continued*

• He developed techniques, such as diction, rhythm, and symbol, which were considered his most significant involvement in poetry. These techniques were used by major poets (Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, and Robert Frost).

Sherriff

“My Last Duchess” (Things to know about the form of the poem)

• Written in rhymed iambic pentameter,• An iamb has two syllables: an unstressed

followed by a stressed. • A Pentameter means that there are five groups of

iambs in a line of poetry; each group is called a foot.

• Uses rhymed couplets- every two lines end with a rhyme.

• Written to the reader as if they were “eavesdropping” on a conversation

“My Last Duchess”

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?

• The speaker is the Duke of Ferrara who is standing in front of a portrait of his last wife, who is now dead.

• There’s emphasis of the mastery of the artist, “Fra Pandolf’ who made the painting

• “You” is referring to another character, an emissary

Poem Interpretation

“My Last Duchess”

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 myself they turned (since none puts by The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)

• “By design”, the artist is well known

• All of the painting’s viewers remark upon the painting’s life-like look

• “Its”, instead of “her”=Duke has more of a relationship with the painting than with his wife

• Portrays his possessiveness and control as the painting is behind a curtain

“My Last Duchess”

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.

• Previous viewers also wanted to know what made the Duchess have that look in her eyes

“My Last Duchess”

Sir, 'twas not Her husband's presence only, called that spot Of joy into the Duchess' cheek; perhaps

• The Duke tells the emissary that it wasn’t his presence that made his wife happy or caused the “spot of joy” (blushing)

“My Last Duchess” continued

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 For calling up that spot of joy.

• The Duke starts to guess at what might have caused the Duchess to blush

“My Last Duchess”

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 favor at her breast,

• Start of the Duke’s long list of complaints against the Duchess

• Duchess is described to be too easily pleased and impressed

• His criticalness for her implies that he is a ‘jerk.’

“My Last Duchess”

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.

• Duke blames her for not seeing any difference between being the wife of a “great man” and:

• Being able to see the sunset

• Received a bouquet from someone lower than the Duke

• Rode a white mule

“My Last Duchess”

• 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

• She thanked all men; Gave all of them the kind of respect that only a man with his rank should deserves

“My Last Duchess”continued

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

• The Duke says that he would not lower himself by telling the Duchess what bothered him.

“My Last Duchess”continued

Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set Her wits to yours, forsooth, and make excuse, --E'en then would be some stooping; and I choose Never to stoop.

“My Last Duchess”

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?

• Duke recalls her smile, but she never reserved a smile for him

• Duke used his power to stop his wife’s friendliness

• We don’t know exactly what happened to the Duchess but he may have ordered her assassination

“My Last Duchess”

We'll 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.

• Talks about his upcoming marriage

• States that the father of his future bride will give him a dowry

“My Last Duchess”

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!

• Duke is re-stating his power over his new bride

• Shows his ability to possess objects

Questions

Where is the painting of the Duchess located?

Answer

Behind a curtain

Question:

What does the Duke say that he will never do?

Answer:

Stoop

Question

What happened to the Duchess?

Answer:• She died, but we don’t know how...

(Duke may have ordered an assassination)

Now that you're so good at this...

 The key to faking out the parents is the clammy hands. It’s a good non-specific symptom; I’m a big believer in it. A lot of people will tell you that a good phony fever is a dead lock, but, uh… you get a nervous mother, you could wind up in a doctor’s office. That’s worse than school. You fake a stomach cramp, and when you’re bent over, moaning and wailing, you lick your palms. It’s a little childish and stupid, but then, so is high school.

Works Citied• Browning, Robert. "My Last Duchess." EXPLORING Poetry. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003.

Student Resource Center - Bronze. Gale. North Allegheny Senior High School. 14 May. 2009 <http://find.galegroup.com/srcx/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T008&prodId=SRC-3&docId=EJ2114230375&source=gale&srcprod=SRCS&userGroupName=pl2552&version=1.0>.

• “dramatic monologue." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 14 May. 2009.

<Dictionary.com http://dictionary1.classic.reference.com/browse/dramatic monologue>. • "Explanation: My Last Duchess." EXPLORING Poetry. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student

Resource Center - Bronze. Gale. North Allegheny Senior High School. 14 May. 2009 <http://find.galegroup.com/srcx/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T008&prodId=SRC-3&docId=EJ2114730375&source=gale&srcprod=SRCS&userGroupName=pl2552&version=1.0>.

• "Explanation of: 'My Last Duchess; Ferrra' by Robert Browning." LitFinder Contemporary Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2007. LitFinder. Gale. NORTH ALLEGHENY SCHOOL DISTRICT. 14

May 2009<http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=LITF&u=pl2552>.

Works Cited *continuation*

• "My Last Duchess." EXPLORING Poetry. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resource Center - Bronze. Gale. North Allegheny Senior High School. 14 May. 2009 <http://find.galegroup.com/srcx/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T001&prodId=SRC-3&docId=EJ2114530375&source=gale&userGroupName=pl2552&version=1.0>.

• "Robert Browning (1812-1889)." MAS Ultra - School Edition. 2003. Hutchinson's Biography Database. Web.11 May 2009. <http://web.ebscohost.com/src/detail?vid=7&bk=1&hid=108&sid=67c81b56-e752-4038-b632-858e8ba4cb95%40sessionmgr102&bdata=JnNpdGU9c3JjLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=ulh&AN=32213812>.

• "Robert Browning." Academy of American Poets Web.12 May 2009. <http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/182>.

• "Robert Browning." LitFinder Contemporary Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2007. LitFinder. Gale. NORTH ALLEGHENY SCHOOL DISTRICT. 14 May 2009 <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=LITF&u=pl2552>.