My Last Duchess
by Robert Browning
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.
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 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's 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 you. 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,
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
This sort of trifling? Even had you skill
In speech--(which I have not)--to make your will
Quite clear to such a 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 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!
12 comments:
Robert Browning uses dramatic monologue in his writings. He writes this poem in a rough English language to reflect the theme of the poem which is mainly " survival for the fittest". This poem talks about a duce who wants to marry a count's daughter but the count doesn't agree because the duce kills his former duchess and he sends a messenger to the duce palace to investigate the reasons that lead him to kill his wife.
In the first stanza, the duce invites the messenger to see his private gallery and he shows him a portrait of his last duchess talking about the great artist" Pandolf" who paints the portraits and the circumstances in which he does it. Then he starts describing the portrait itself ( how Pandolf paints his last duchess's countenance , the depth and the passion of its earnest glance).He says to him that this portrait is special for him and nobody dares to look at it.
In the second stanza, he describes his last duchess. He asks him to look to the red spot on her cheek and he tells him that this spot is not because of her husbands being but it might be because of Pinfold's courtesy. Then he goes on describing her smiles which are to everyone . He is annoyed from her sweet heart that she loves everything she sees and she sees everything. She smiles to him the same smile she does to a worker under his control.
In the third stanza, he talks about her bad language in speaking showing off his family roots and their position and how she pollutes their name when she acts like this. He also admits that he refuses to teach her how to be a duchess in all her behaviours.He tells him again about her infinite smiles to everyone then he admits giving orders to kill her.
In the last stanza, He asks the messenger to go back to their guests. While they are walking , he talks about his qualities that he doesn't seek the dowry of the count's daughter. Then he shows him a peace of art represents Neptune taming a sea horse in order to confirm that he is a great man and has a sense of art so he deserves the count's daughter.
this poem is a story in the form of a poem. it is a dramatic monlogue consists of the listener the speaker and the story. it depicts a historical event the duke who kills his wife for his position and degnity. in the victorian age the duke should be strong and rigid and not weak so that people respect and obey him, and also his wife should reflect his character,but here the duchess was opposit to him with her bad behaviors which are not appropriate to him. she smiles and becomes glad to the trivial thing so he has to kill her for the survival of all and to avoid the distruction of his position. if we ask why he divorce her instead of commiting a crime? we can say that it was in the time of the catholic rules that the married man must not divorce his wife so he has to give command for killing her.
the duke now wants to marry the count daughter for the dowery and land he wants to enlarge his properities.
browning uses rough topics that are affected by a rough language. the language here reflects the subject itself.
now the duke wants to marry the count's doughter so he is negotiating with the messenger the marriage.
first, the poem begins with the duke describing the portrait. it is a masterpiece. the artist fra pandlofe spent aday draing it.
then he diatribe his last duchess bad behaviour and by that he is justifying the crime1 she smile and got glad at the trivial things she didn't appreciate his gift and she considers it as any gift(the gift nine hundred years old name)....etc
after that, he praises the count's generousity and the daughter's beauty but at the same time he mentions
finally while they are going down he show him his art the sculpure neptun, the god of sea, to show that he is also strong as the seahorse.
I think that the whole story is from the duke fiction. I can't believe that he kills her just because she smiles to everyone. He seeks power so I guess that he finds another woman who will pay him a high dowry and because he can't marry another one till his wife dies he makes this lie from his imagination.
This poem is an example of the dramatic monologue. the speaker here is a duke who was talking the a messanger about a painting of his dead wife who was young and pretty, he killed her beaucse she smiled too much and that would make him weak although he loved her,he was jealous. that a messenger who is arranging the duke's marriage to another young, pretty girl.at the end of the poem the poet talks about a statue of Neptune and how he tamed a sea horse and how it was thought to be rare in its beauty to show himself as a strong man who can rule and still on the throne. in my opinion this poem reflects the idea of males dominance over femals during the victorian age.
yes walaa but that is one of the reasons her weakness that she smniled to anybody and the duchess should be brave and strong also and appropriate to the duke and the seeking of power is anotehr reason all in all I respect your opinion.
yes walaa but that is one of the reasons her weakness that she smniled to anybody and the duchess should be brave and strong also and appropriate to the duke and the seeking of power is anotehr reason all in all I respect your opinion.
When the Duke is speaking
of the death of his wife he is nervous about the subject. he suggest to the reader that he is hiding something or that he is pausing to think.
When discussing the poem's content, there are many things We know that the Duchess died suspiciously and that the Duke is in the process of looking
for a new wife. He is speaking to a messenger about a painting of his now deceased wife. The Duke is casting himself in a
favorable light and he presenting his best side. He wants to make it look as if his wife was cheating on him and was unfaithful to him. He is very controlling, and could not control her and her smiles.
This smile was what the Duke likes the most about the painting of the Duchess--he feels that the painter accurately captured the smile and the vivacity of the Duchess. Now that the Duke owns this painting and has placed it behind a curtain, he can at last control who is graced with her smile
hello everyone
I am absolutely not surprised by the duke's reaction toward his wife. since he lived in the Victorian age , he is supposed to take such a solution in his consideration. therefore I totally disagree with Alaa's comment " lies form his imagination'' and ''Duke's fiction'' . During the victorian age, only the powerful persons who have the right to control, to speak, to think etc. Unfortunately, the duke ,who is considered powerful and very respected, has a trivial lady who does not respect her position as a duke' wife. depending on the conventions of his age, a respected man should marry a respected woman. therefore, he simply decided to get ride of that silly woman ang bring a respected one.
Be realistic Alaa ! even in our society, the man has the right to replace his first wife with another one only becouse she can't give birth so i think that it is the same !
hello again :)
good point Huda ! it is possible to think about " males dominance over females '' in this poem. since victorian age was distinguish by its quest for power, men did controled their wive's life. they considered their wife as one of their properties not as human beings. an evidence on that is the title itself ''MY last duchess''. Browning himself chose the possessive pronoun ''MY'' to describe the lady.
distinguished**
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