Poem Review- “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning

 

Source: SlidePlayer

Poem’s Name - My Last Duchess

Poet’s Name - Robert Browning

Genre - Dramatic Monologue

Language - English 

Published in- 1842 in Browning's Dramatic Lyrics 

About the Poet

Robert Browning is one of the most well-known and frequently studied Victorian poets. The public ignored him during the first 20 years of his writing career. He is well known for his mastery of dramatic monologue and psychological portrayal. The Ring and the Book (1868–1899), a 12-volume account of a Roman murder trial is two of his best works. 

My Last Duchess as an Ekphrastic Poetry

The term "ekphrastic poetry" now refers to poetry that responds to artistic creation. The poem "Ode on a Grecian Urn" by John Keats, for instance, is a reflection on a piece of antiquity.

Ekphrasis means the ability to describe something in compelling detail in the original Greek. This is true ekphrastic poetry. But poets often use artistic creation to explore the hidden or unexpected subject matter of their art.

Robert Browning's My Last Duchess references historical figures. Commonly known to allude to a particular picture, the poem can be seen as an instance of Ekphrasis. 

Synopsis – Spoiler Alert! 

This poem is based on real events that occurred in the 16th century regarding Alfonso, Duke of Ferrara. The speaker is the Duke who was recently widowed. He informs us that he is hosting an embassy to discuss his impending marriage with a wealthy family. He pauses in front of a photo of the late Duchess. A young and beautiful girl, as he guides the guest through his castle.

The Duke starts by recalling the photo sessions before moving on to the Duchess. His meditations turn into a tirade over her scandalous conduct. He accuses her of flirting with everyone and being unappreciative of his "gift of a nine hundred-year-old name."

As the Duke continues his monologue, we become more convinced that he was responsible for the Duchess's early death. After disclosing this information, the Duke gets back to the task at hand. He is arranging for another marriage, this time with a different young woman. The Duke points out other noteworthy pieces in his collection as he and the ambassador leave the painting behind.

Themes Involved

In My Last Duchess, Browning works to clarify the duties of an artist. He wishes to explain the connection between morality and art throughout his work. He questioned if artists need morality. And whether they had the right to criticize their personalities and works. By adopting a character's voice, Browning could study evil without embodying it. 

This distance between himself and his creations was made possible by the dramatic monologue genre. He used his characters as personas. This allowed him to acquire various qualities and create tales about gruesome circumstances. In "My Last Duchess," the speaker escapes punishment for killing his wife. 

Women, especially in Victorian culture, represent the home—the repository of traditional values. Their brutal demise can represent the demise of society. Particularly in Browning's poetry, women have free sexuality. 

This violence suggests the conflict between aesthetics and morals in Victorian art. Women are often used as symbols of values as they serve as the traditional focus for the aesthetic in the form of sensual physical beauty. The conflict between the two is potentially present.

Dramatic Monologue

Dramatic monologues often involve a lone speaker. This speaker addresses at least one quiet, anonymous individual. In turn, they offer fascinating glimpses into the speakers' characters. Dramatic monologues opposed to soliloquies always feature characters speaking directly to the audience.

In general, Browning's characters are cunning, perceptive, persuasive, and able to utter lies. They omit more information from a tale than they do provide. We readers must pay attention to his word choice, logical development, and the usage of figures of speech. Including any metaphors or analogies, to completely grasp the speakers and their psychologies. For instance, the speaker in "My Last Duchess" never explicitly admits to killing his wife. Yet, he confesses to the crime. 

The Bottom Line

Robert Browning spent much of his early creative career in relative obscurity. But he is still recognized as one of the most significant English poets of the Victorian era. His dramatic monologues and psycho-historical epic novels have made him a notable figure in the history of English poetry. 

My ratings for the poem - 4 on 5

Written by Garima Jain