BS English Literature Notes. w.w.w.bseln.

com
Lecture by Uffaq Zahra
YouTube Channel URL (https://www.youtube.com/c/BsEnglishliteraturenotes) For More Notes.

My Last Duchess

By Robert Browning

 Bio of the poet

 History of the poem
 Publication of the poem
 Structure of the poem
 Form of the poem
 Tone of the poem
 Meter of the poem.
 Dramatic Monologue as a poem
 Summary, Critical appreciation and line by line explanation
 Themes and Central Idea
 Literary Devices in the Poem

Robert Browning {1812-1889} was an English poet and playwright whose dramatic monologues
put him among the foremost Victorian poets. His poems are noted for irony, characterization, dark
humour, social commentary, historical settings and challenging vocabulary and syntax. He got
inspired to write My Last Duchess poem by the history of Alfonso II of Ferrara, who was a
Renaissance duke, whose young wife died mysteriously in 1561 under suspicious circumstances.
After her death, the duke got married to the niece of the Count of Tyrol.

Publication, Structure, Form, Tone and Meter of the poem.

There is one long stanza in the poem having fifty-six lines as heroic couplet in it. Iambic
Pentameter: It is a type of meter having five iambs per line. The poem follows iambic pentameter
such as, “looking as if she were alive I call”. In couplet form. rhyme scheme would be AABBCCDD,

“My Last Duchess” is a dramatic monologue { It means a person, who is speaking to himself or
someone else speaks to reveal specific intentions of his actions.} written by Victorian poet Robert
Browning in 1842.

The tone of the poem is that of an ignorant, vulgar, insensitive, selfish, arrogant, and brutal man
who is trying his best to sound like a courtly aristocrat.

My Last Duchess

By Robert Browning

FERRARA

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.

BS English Literature Notes. w.w.w.bseln.com
Lecture by Uffaq Zahra
YouTube Channel URL (https://www.youtube.com/c/BsEnglishliteraturenotes) For More Notes.

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

BS English Literature Notes. w.w.w.bseln.com
Lecture by Uffaq Zahra
YouTube Channel URL (https://www.youtube.com/c/BsEnglishliteraturenotes) For More Notes.

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 pretense

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!

BS English Literature Notes. w.w.w.bseln.com
Lecture by Uffaq Zahra
YouTube Channel URL (https://www.youtube.com/c/BsEnglishliteraturenotes) For More Notes.

Central Idea of The Poem

In the poem, the Duke of Ferrara uses a painting of his former wife as a conversation piece. The
Duke speaks about his former wife's perceived inadequacies to a representative of the family of his
bride-to-be, revealing his obsession with controlling others in the process. Browning uses this
compelling psychological portrait of a despicable character to critique the objectification of women
and abuses of power.

Major Themes in “My Last Duchess”: Jealousy, hatred, and power are the major themes of this
poem.’

"My Last Duchess" is all about power: the political and social power wielded by the speaker (the
Duke) and his attempt to control the domestic sphere (his marriage) in the same way that he rules
his lands. He rules with an iron fist.

Themes in My Last Duchess

Power

This poem is all about power. The Duke of Ferrara is shown exercising his tyrannical power not only
in his political and social affairs but also in his marital life. He rules with an iron fist. As he was a duke
so he even wanted to control his wife’s smile and when he couldn’t, he gave orders to kill her.

Art

A beautiful piece of art is presented in the poem. The Duke shows the portrait of her former Duchess
to his guest that is so beautifully painted that the Duchess seems alive, smiling and standing in front
of them. The Artist of the painting “Fra Pandolf” worked hard to put the depth and passion in the
painting and he made it a masterpiece. Everyone gets surprised to see this art of wonder and
admires it.

Apart from that painting, the Duke also draws the attention of his guest towards another beautiful
art made by Claus of Innsbruck. It was a statue of God Neptune taming his sea-horse and it was cast
in Bronze. The Duke shows his beautiful art gallery to the people whom he wants to impress. It
shows that the poem “My Last Duchess” is a piece of art about another art.

Objectification of women  

Throughout the poem, the Duke praises the art and painting of his wife. He shows that he loves his
Duchess more in painting as compared to when she was alive. He values the art more than his wife.
His point of view shows that the women are the objects that are supposed to be controlled and
possessed. 
BS English Literature Notes. w.w.w.bseln.com
Lecture by Uffaq Zahra
YouTube Channel URL (https://www.youtube.com/c/BsEnglishliteraturenotes) For More Notes.

It also reflects the thinking of Browning’s time when people used to treat women badly in the
Victorian era. They were not considered equal as men and were not allowed to stand as
independent beings and were controlled by men. Through this poem, the poet actually criticizes this
type of viewpoint about women.

Pride

The Duke’s pride took the life of his Duchess. He wanted his wife to make him feel special but he
never tried to talk to her about it. The Duke tells that he feels his insult in it to explain anything to
anyone even to his own wife. He considers it equivalent to stooping and his pride never allowed him
to stoop so, in his pride and power he gave commands to kill his Duchess. Moreover, his pride is also
shown when he tells the servant that he gave his Duchess his nine hundred years old family name
but she didn’t consider it superior to other trivial gifts of others. It shows that he is proud of his
family name and social status.

Communication gap

The lack of communication between the Duke and Duchess become the reason behind their
problems. In any relationship, communication gap is the main factor that gives rise to
misunderstandings. In the poem, the Duke was reluctant to talk to his wife but if he somehow
managed to talk to her and explain to her what exactly he wanted from her, then maybe she could
have changed herself for him. He never tried to tell her about his feelings and his expectations from
her and he ended up taking her life.

Madness

In the poem, the Duke tries to rule over his wife. He even tries to control her smiles and blushes. He
hates when she smiles for others and thanks to them for their presents. He never even tries to tell
her about this but he expects her to become as he wants. It clearly shows his madness. Without
even talking to her, he decides to solve the matter by his power. In his madness, he takes the life of
his innocent wife just to stop her smiles that are not for him but for others. Maybe, he considers
these smiles and blushes equal to having an affair with someone and the insane Duke murders his
wife to stop this.

Jealousy

One reason behind the Duke’s madness is his jealousy. Whenever he sees his Duchess smiling and
thanking other people he gets jealous because he only wants to see her smiling for him. Many lines
in the poem are the evidence of his jealousy as he himself says that his Duchess smiles whenever he
crosses her but on the other hand he says no one crosses her without receiving the same smile. He
becomes jealous of every smile and every blush of his wife if it is intentionally or unintentionally
intended for someone else.

Cruelty

The nature of the Duke’s former Duchess was very kind and generous. She used to smile and show
gratitude towards everyone for their presents, even the trivial ones but the Duke didn’t like it. He
never wanted her to get frank with other people. He even became jealous seeing her smiling while
watching the sunset or riding on her white mule. He didn’t even try to solve this issue by
BS English Literature Notes. w.w.w.bseln.com
Lecture by Uffaq Zahra
YouTube Channel URL (https://www.youtube.com/c/BsEnglishliteraturenotes) For More Notes.

communication. The only solution that he came up with was taking her life. He murdered his own
wife and proved himself a cruel Duke who could only exercise his power on the innocent people.

Greed

The theme of Greed is also found in the end of the poem when the Duke tells the servant of the
Count that he is not worried about the dowry. As the Duke is going to marry the Count’s daughter,
he tells the servant that he has heard much about his master’s generous nature so he is sure that
whatever he demands from him in dowry, he will never reject it. It shows that the Duke is also
greedy and concerned about the dowry though he tries to conceal his greediness by saying that the
Count’s beautiful daughter will be his primary concern and priority.

Murder and Sadness

The character of Duchess is viewed as an innocent and kind soul who is killed by the cruel
psychopath Duke. The Duke murdered her because of her nice behaviour to everyone. It makes the
readers sad to see any good character suffering at the hands of cruel and haughty ones.

My Last Duchess Literary Analysis

Lines 1-5

In the opening lines of the poem, the speaker talks about “his last duchess”. It gives the idea that the
speaker is a Duke and he is addressing an unknown or silent listener. The Duke points towards the
painting of his Duchess on the wall who is dead now. The picture of the Duchess is so beautifully
painted that the speaker says it seems that she is standing alive in front of him.

The Duke praises the painting and calls it a masterpiece. He also tells the mysterious listener about
the artist or the painter who produced this amazing piece of wonder. He says that Fra Pandolf
worked hard and it took him an entire day to complete it and give it a realist effect. The Duke then
says ” there she stands” it gives the idea that the painting is not just a close up of the Duchess but
her full body is visible in it, so it seems as if the Duchess is alive and standing in front of the Duke.

The Duke then invites the listener to sit down and focus on the beauty of the painting. He asks him
to examine the painting and admire its art.

Lines 5-13

The Duke tells the listener that he told him the name of the painter deliberately because everyone
who looks at this painting, wants to know about the person who produced this piece of art. The
people or the strangers who see this painting, also want to question how the painter portrayed so
much depth and passion on the face of the Duchess and gave her the expressions that look
absolutely real. 

The Duke also tells the listener that only he is allowed to draw the curtain back that hangs over the
painting. It means that only Duke can see this painting or show it to anyone else if he wants. It also
gives the idea that the painting hangs on a wall in the Duke’s private gallery where no one can enter
without his permission.  
BS English Literature Notes. w.w.w.bseln.com
Lecture by Uffaq Zahra
YouTube Channel URL (https://www.youtube.com/c/BsEnglishliteraturenotes) For More Notes.

He further tells the listener that he is not the first one who is surprised to see this beautiful art.
Everyone who looks at it, turns to Duke as if they want to ask him how the painting of the Duchess
looks so real but they never dare to ask it actually. As the Duke can read their face and he knows
what they want to ask so he replies to everyone before they ask.

Lines 13-21

The Duke keeps on addressing his silent listener and this time he calls him “Sir”. He explains the
expressions of the Duchess in the painting and tells the listener that the smile and the blush that he
can see on her cheeks was not because of her husband’s presence. The Duchess was not happy
because the Duke was around. It gives the idea that something else was the reason behind the
Duchess’ joy and the Duke seems jealous of this thing because he always wanted her to have these
expressions of joy on her face just for her husband.

In the next lines, the Duke starts guessing the reason behind the Duchess’ happiness or blush. He
suggests that maybe she smiled because Fra Pandolf praised her beauty or he told her that the
mantle or shawl is covering too much of her wrist or he complimented her by saying that he could
never be able to paint the beauty of her faint half_blush that fades on her throat.

The Duke criticizes his Duchess saying that she thought that the courtesy or the polite comments like
these are enough to make her happy. It shows that the Duke didn’t want her to be happy or blush on
trivial compliments of everyone. He only wanted her to be happy in her husband’s presence or on
his compliments.

Lines 21-24

The Duke further explains the nature of his late Duchess to the listener. He says that the Duchess
had a gentle heart that could easily be made happy anytime. The Duchess liked and praised
everything that she looked at. In short, it was very easy for everyone to make her happy or to
impress her by anything.

In these lines, the Duke is not praising the Duchess but in reality, he is criticizing her. The above lines
give the idea that the Duchess was very kind and down to earth but she was not the kind of person
that the Duke wanted his wife to be.

Lines 25-31

In these lines, the Duke again calls his listener by saying “Sir” and tells him further about the
behaviour of his Duchess. He tells him that her behaviour was the same towards everyone and
everything made her equally happy. If he brought her any present, brooch or jewellery that she
could wear on her chest, she used to smile or thanked him for the present but she became equally
happy on the trivial things like watching the sun setting in the West, the branch of cherries that
some random fool brings for her from the orchard or the white mule on which she rode around the
terrace. 

He further tells him that she praised all these things equally or blushed in a similar way each time. It
shows that though the Duke expected special response from his wife yet the Duchess treated
everything equally. Now it is clear that the Duke wanted his Duchess to pay special attention to  him
but she treated him equally and always responded to him just as she used to respond to any other
common person or thing.
BS English Literature Notes. w.w.w.bseln.com
Lecture by Uffaq Zahra
YouTube Channel URL (https://www.youtube.com/c/BsEnglishliteraturenotes) For More Notes.

Lines 31-35

The Duke then says that she used to thank men. The Duke admits that it is good to thank someone if
they present you any gift or do any favour to you. He had no problem with the Duchess thanking
everyone but he didn’t like her way to do that. The Duke gave her his nine hundred years old family
name and the prestige. He gave her a status by making her his Duchess that she never had before
marrying the Duke but she didn’t even value this gift of his superior to any other minor thing done
for her by any common person. 

The Duke then asks his listener who would lower himself to ask her about this strange behaviour or
to have an argument with her over this matter? The Duke knows that the answer is “no one”. It also
suggests that there was a communication gap in the relationship between  the Duke and the
Duchess, that is the reason he never told her anything about her behaviour.

Lines 35-43

Now the Duke explains the obstacles that stopped him from complaining about the behaviour of his
Duchess to her. He thinks she could make excuses or resist him, showing her stubbornness to change
for him. 

He says that though he doesn’t have the skill in speech yet if he had and he tried to talk to her telling
her about “the behaviour that disgusted him or where she did little or too much for him”, there was
a possibility that she could have tried to change herself and made herself as he wanted but still the
Duke says he would never try to talk to her.

The Duke didn’t want to talk to her because talking to her and explaining what was wrong, he
considered it equivalent to stooping. As he is a Duke, so he considers it his insult to explain
something to anyone even to his own Duchess. He didn’t want to bend but he wanted his wife to
understand what he wanted, without saying anything.

Lines 43-47

The Duke tells the listener that he admits his Duchess was always nice to him. She treated him well
and she always did smile whenever she saw him or he passed by her. Then the Duke again asks the
question who passed her without receiving the same smile? There was nothing special in her smile
for the Duke.

The Duke then tells the listener that “this grew”. He talks about her behaviour and her kindness
towards everyone. He tells him that her kindness and love for everyone became more intense and
she didn’t stop. The Duke admits that he couldn’t bear it more so he gave commands against his own
Duchess and as a result, all her smiles stopped. It gives the idea that he gave the commands to end
her life so that she could no longer be able to smile. 

The Duke then ends his story and again points towards the beautiful portrait saying that now there
she stands and it looks like she is alive. The Duke then asks the listener in a gentle way to stand up.

Lines 47-53

Duke asks him to stand up and follow him so that they can go and meet other guests who are
present downstairs. The Duke then starts talking about the listener’s master “Count”. It gives the
idea that the silent listener is actually the servant of the Count.
BS English Literature Notes. w.w.w.bseln.com
Lecture by Uffaq Zahra
YouTube Channel URL (https://www.youtube.com/c/BsEnglishliteraturenotes) For More Notes.

He says to the servant that everyone knows about the generosity of his master so the Duke expects
him to give the dowry of her daughter as much as he demands. It suggests that the Duke is now
getting married again to the daughter of the Count and he talks to the servant to him about the
matter of dowry. Here the greed of Duke is also shown. 

Moreover, he tells the servant that he is not worried about the dowry knowing the generous nature
of the Count but instead of money, the fair nature of the Count’s daughter will be his utmost priority
as he mentioned earlier at the beginning of their discussion.

Lines 53-56

The Duke ends his discussion and they start going down. While on their way, the Duke draws the
attention of the servant towards another beautiful piece of art in his gallery. He points towards the
statue of God Neptune who is shown taming his sea-horse. The Duke also tells the servant about the
artist who made it. He tells him that Claus of Innsbruck made this statue with bronze especially  for
him.

Analysis of Literary devices in the poem

Assonance

The repetition of the same vowel sound in the same line is called assonance. In the poem, assonance
is used in the following line “Her wits to your, forsooth, and made excuses”. In this line /o/ sound is
repeated while the sound /o/ and /i/ are repeated in the following line “Of mine for dowry will be
disallowed”.

Consonance

The repetition of the same consonant sound in the same line is called consonance. In the poem, /t/
sound is repeated in the line “Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though”. Consonance is also used
in the line “The Count your master’s known munificence” because of the repetition of /n/ sound.

Simile

The explicit comparison between two things using the words “like” or “as” is called a simile. In the
poem, the simile is used in the following line:

“That’s my last duchess painted on the wall, Looking as if she were alive.” In this line, the poet
compares a dead person to her painting by using the word “as”.

Irony

When the intended meaning of the writer is different from the actual meaning of the words, it is
known as irony. The title of this poem “My Last Duchess” is ironic because the dead Duchess of the
Duke is not his last Duchess as he is going to marry the Count’s daughter now. 

Hyperbole

The exaggeration of anything for the sake of emphasis, is known as Hyperbole. In this poem,
hyperbole is used in the twenty-fourth line: “She looked on, and her looks went everywhere”.

Symbolism
BS English Literature Notes. w.w.w.bseln.com
Lecture by Uffaq Zahra
YouTube Channel URL (https://www.youtube.com/c/BsEnglishliteraturenotes) For More Notes.

The use of symbols to signify any object, idea or quality else than its literal meaning, is known as
symbolism. In the poem, the painting of Duke’s last Duchess symbolizes how he uses his power to
objectify human beings such as his own wife considering his own property or possession.

“The white mule” symbolizes the pure and gentle nature of the Duchess. It also symbolizes her
innocence. Moreover, the statue of God Neptune taming his sea-horse symbolizes the cruel
character of Duke taming his own Duchess.

Enjambment

The technique in which a sentence is carried over to the next line without any pause, is known as
Enjambment.  In the poem, Enjambment is used in the following lines:

“The Count your master’s known munificence 

Is ample warrant that no just pretense

Of mine for dowry will be disallowed;”

Heroic Couplet

The rhyming pair of lines in the form of iambic pentameter, is known as the heroic couplet. In the
poem, there are twenty-eight heroic couplets. One of them is given below:

“Strangers like you that pictured countenance.

The depth and passion of its earnest glance,”

Allusion

The reference to any famous incident, person or work of art in history, is known as an allusion. The
allusion is used at the end of the poem when the poet refers to the bronze statue of God Neptune
taming his sea-horse.

Rhetoric question

The question asked in any piece of Literature specially poetry whose purpose is not to get an answer
and is just used to lay emphasis, is known as a rhetoric question. 

In the poem, the poet has used rhetoric questions at the following points:

“Who’d stoop to blame

This sort of trifling?”

“but who passed without