15. ROBERT BROWNING POEMS
(Andrea del Sarto and My Last Duchess)
for APPSC TGPSC TREIRB JL/DL
Robert Browning (born May 7,
1812, London—died Dec. 12, 1889, Venice)
Biography:
Robert Browning (also known as Victorian
Donne; master of dramatic monologue.) was born in Camberwell, London in May of 1812.
He is mostly self taught in his fathre’s library containing around 6,000 books.
This would form the basis of Browning’s early education and stimulate his
interest in literature. Browning's attempts at education proved unsuccessful;
he tried several vocations and dropped out of university several times.
From early in his life Browning’s
family supported his poetic aspirations and helped him financially as well as
with the publishing of his first works. His early life and work were greatly
influenced by the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe
Shelley, which sought to find
transcendence through exploration of the individual's sensibility.
He lived with his family until he met
Elizabeth Barret; the two had to elope in order to marry. Elizabeth and Robert
moved to live in Florence, Italy. They had a son named Pen. After the death of Elizabeth Barrett Browning in 1861, Browning
and his son moved back to England.
His first published work, Pauline, was
a great success in 1833. But his subsequent publication, a long, difficult poem
called Sordello, was a great failure. It was the first time he would be labeled
difficult and obscure, a charge that would haunt his reputation and his work
for most of his life.
His hand in writing stage plays saw
brief success but ultimately led to him being criticized as unfit for the
dramatic form because of his lyrical flourishes and overly intellectual
approach.
He continued to publish – next through
a series known as Bells and Pomegranates – to establish the dramatic monologue
form that would ensure his legacy.
In 1855, Browning published a collection
called Men and Women, which contains most of his best known poems but was again
only a modest success, especially when compared to Elizabeth's work, which was
quite popular.
He published other collections like
Dramatis Personae, but it was his long work The Ring and the Book, published in
1868-69, that finally made him famous.
Robert Browning is considered as the
greatest Victorian poet. Victorian England, named after Queen Victoria who was
crowned in 1837, is marked by several social qualities: repressed sexuality,
strict morality, an expansion of English imperialism, a focus on human
inventiveness, and nascent doubt over man's place in the universe.
Before Browning’s death in 1889 in
Venice, he lived to see the formation of the Browning Society and received an
honorary Doctorate of Civil Law from Balliol College at Oxford University. He
is buried in Westminster Abbey.
Poetry:
1. Pauline: A Fragment of a Confession (1833)– published anonymously- a confession of an
unnamed poet to his lover, Pauline.
2. Paracelsus 1835– five part epic poem- a Swish
physician, quest for perfect knowledge
3. Sordello 1840– poem- life of Sordello da Goito, a
13th-century Italian poet and troubadour. Begins with: “who will hear Sordello’s story…….”
4.
Bells and Pomegranates No. III: Dramatic
Lyrics 1842:
i) The Pied Piper of
Hamelin 1842- adaptation of the classic children’s folk tale.
Pied Piper of Hamelin (has the power to attract anyone to his music) hired
to solve the problem of rats by playing the pipe on a promise of 1000 coins
from mayor. When the mayor refused to pay, piper plays the pipe again, all the
children follow him (except a lame boy). He disappears with all the children of
the town and never returned.
ii) Porphyria’s Lover
1842: Dramatic monologue- narrated by a man who has
murdered his lover Porphyria, describes the act of murdering to preserve their
perfect moment together.
iii) My Last Duchess
1842: Dramatic monologue- Duke of Ferrara
(who murdered his first wife, Lucrezia) describes the character of his first
wife to envoy of his new intended bride. The painter mentioned in the poem is
Fra Pandolf. Famous line: ”I gave commands; Then
all smiles stopped together.”
iv) Soliloquy of the
Spanish Cloister 1842- is a resentful narration by a unnamed Spanish
monk who watches his professed enemy, Brother
Lawrence, as the latter plants flowers.
5.
Bells and Pomegranates No. VII: Dramatic
Romances and Lyrics (1845):
i)
The lost Leader 1845- an attack on
Wordsworth, who had recently changed his political views. Wordsworth accepted
the Poet Laureate after the death of Southey in 1843. Browning visualized an
image of Wordsworth literally on his knees in front of the queen, and wrote
this poem. The First line of the poem talks about Wordsworth’s betrayal or
selling out. It opens with:
“Just for a handful of silver he left us,
Just for a riband to stick in his coat”
Famous line:
Shakespeare
was of us, Milton was for us, Burns, Shelley, were with us -they watch from
their graves!
ii)
The Laboratory: narrated by a
young lady, while an Old man (apothecary) is preparing a poison for her, to use
it on her romantic rivals (the two ladies) at court. She pushes him to complete
the potion. She hopes the poison will taste sweetly. When the poison is
complete, she promises the apothecary both her fortune (her "jewels"
and "gold") but also lets him kiss her: "You
may kiss me, old man, on my mouth if you will!"
iii)
How They Brought the Good News From Ghent to
Aix- follows three horsemen (The Narrator, Dirck and Joris) as they
rush between the titular towns to bring important news. The nature of the good
news is never revealed. Only the narrator survives; he rewards his horse,
Roland, with wine for surviving the journey.
iv)
The Bishop Orders His Tomb at St. Praxed's
Church - is a rambling dramatic monologue in which a greedy dying bishop calls youngmen as
"sons," asking them to build him a great tomb so that he can shame
his rival who is buried nearby. If they are actually his sons, they would have
to be illegitimate since he is a bishop.
v)
Home-Thoughts, From Abroad- is a British
expatriate's nostalgic thoughts of England, especially of how it must be
beautiful in the newly arrived spring.
vi)
Meeting at Night- is a
description of a man's intense travel over land and sea to rendezvous with his
beloved.
6. Christmas-Eve and Easter-Day, a Poem (1850)- treated as two poems, rather than as one poem
in two parts
7. Men and Women 1855– it consists his best
Dramatic Monologues.
i)
Love Among the Ruins 1855- first poem in Men
and Women- is a contemplation of how a pastoral landscape, where the narrator's
beloved is currently waiting for him, was once the setting of a great empire
that has since fallen
ii)
Evelyn Hope 1855: The speaker of the
poem is an old man sitting with the corpse of Evelyn Hope, a 16-year-old girl
who has recently died. She was too young, so he never made any direct proposal
and it is now too late. He anticipates rejoining her in the afterlife. “Beautiful Evelyn Hope is dead!
Sit and watch by her side an hour.”
iii)
A Toccata of Galuppi’s 1855- Based on
18th-century Venetian composer Baldassare Galuppi. Toccata is a musical
instrument. The title refers to the fact that the speaker is either playing or
listening to a toccata, worried about the disconnect between pleasant art and
impending death. While he plays or listens to his immortal music, though swept
away, gets transposed into old Venice. In the end he laments for loss of such
music and glory of Venice.
iv)
Fra (brother) Lippo Lippi 1855: Dramatic Monologue- inspired to write this
poem after reading Vasari's Lives
of the Artists. It is narrated by 15th century renaissance
painter and monk, Fra Lippo Lippi, and his conflict with the church. It is
about the influence of Church on art. He paints real pictures, but church asks
him to “paint the soul, not the flesh.” The painter was caught
by policemen in red light district of Vienna claiming he is visiting a
brothel, but when they realize he is a employee of the powerful Cosimo Medici,
they release him. Poem asks the question: whether art should be true to
life or an idealized image of life. Famous line: "Paint
the soul, never mind the legs and arms!"
v)
Andrew del Sarto 1855- poem’s subtitle, “The Faultless
Painter.” - narrated by Andrea del Sarto (renaissance painter)
to his wife Lucrezia, who is well known for creating "faultless"
paintings- senza errori ("without errors"), but
laments for lack of "soul" in his work. He blames his wife Lucrezia
for not inspiring him, but accept his faults. The “cousin (his wife’s lover)”
is demanding money from Andrea del Sarto to pay off gambling debts. Opening line:
But
do not let us quarrel any more,
No,
my Lucrezia; bear with me for once:
Sit
down and all shall happen as you wish.
You
turn your face, but does it bring your heart?
vi) One Word More
1855 (addressed to his wife)
vii) A Grammarian’s Funeral 1855- narrated by a disciple of a grammarian
(scholar of the classical languages) who had renounced normal life in favor of
a life fully devoted to lonely scholarship. The grammarian has died, and the
narrator is performing his eulogy and carrying his corpse to its burial place
atop a mountain.
viii) Child Roland to the Dark Tower Came 1855 - a line from William Shakespeare's play King
Lear- symbolist poem that follows a traveling
knight in search of a Dark Tower, which he knows will bring
disappointment and probably death, but which he seeks nevertheless. The hoary
cripple gives Roland directions off the road on his quest for the Dark Tower.
Cuthbert and Giles are friends of Roland's who were shamed for having betrayed
his friends in the past.
ix) My Star 1855- a lover's
contemplation of how he loves a particular star even though others do not see
in it the beauty he does.
x) Memorabilia 1855 -
recounts a meeting between the narrator and another man who had once met the
Romantic poet Shelley. The narrator is very excited about hearing the story and
reflects on how small moments can stay with us forever.
xi) The Last Ride Together 1855- is a dramatic monologue- after the rejection
of his love proposal, the speaker makes a final request to go for a
ride with him.
8.
Dramatic Personae 1864– it contains studies of men and women.
i)
Rabbi Ben Ezra 1864: about a Jew,
who is a poet, mathematician and scholar of 12th century. - a
theological monologue spoken by a historical theologian about how one ought to
exercise patience in life in preparation for greater quests to come. He praises
old age as having the understanding that escapes youth. Begins with the
line: “Grow old along with me, The best is yet to
be”
ii)
Abt Vogler 1864- a dramatic monologue-
based on Georg joseph Voglar- portrayed as a German musician who
uses music to communicate with God.
iii)
Caliban Upon Setebos 1864: dramatic monologue
spoken by Caliban, a monster from Shakespeare’s Tempest, about Setebos, whom he
believes is his creator. He considers the apathy and resentment of God, and
wonders how he can make the most of life without bringing Setebos's wrath down
upon himself.
iv)
Prospice 1864- The title in
Latin means “to look forward.” -the speaker bravely talks of looking
forward and facing death, so that he can be reunited with his beloved.
v)
Death in the Desert 1864- is a recounting
of the last days of St. John, who wrote the Fourth Gospel, and who has been
accused of inventing details about Christ's life. John admits to having lied in
order to relate the more important truth: people should accept faith based on
the wonders of life rather than on rational observation.
9. The Ring and the Book (4 volumes, 1868-69) – his masterpiece, in blank verse, long
narrative poem- verse novel in 21000 lines, it is twice as long as Paradise
Lost. It contains the story of Pomphilia, and her unhappy marriage, returns to
her parents. Her husband Franceschini murders Pomphilia and her parents,
arrested and executed. Famous line: “O' Lyric
Love, half angel and half bird”
10. Prince Hohenstiel-Schwangau, Saviour of
Society (1871)- long poem
11. Fifine at the Fair (1872)- poem
12. Red Cotton Night-Cap Country, or, Turf and
Towers (1873)- poem in
blankverse
13. Pacchiarotto, and How He Worked in Distemper
(1876)- Short collection of poems- published
after 12 years from the publication of previous collection (Dramatic Personae
1864)
14. Dramatic Idyls (1879)
15. Dramatic Idyls: Second Series (1880)
16. Jocoseria (1883)- book of poetry
17. Ferishtah's Fancies (1884)- book of poetry
18. Asolando 1889 – Collection of 5 poems- published on the day
of his death. Asolando means “to amuse oneself at random”
19. Aeschylus Soliloquy – unfinished poem.
20. Poetic Plays:
a.
Strafford: A tragedy 1837 (historical play)
- portrays the downfall and execution of
Lord Strafford, the advisor to Charles I shortly before the English Civil War.
b.
Pippa Passes 1841- verse play in 4
parts: Morning, Noon, Evening, and Night- published in Bells and Pomegranates No.I- dedicted to author of Ion, Sergeant Talfourd. On
New Year’s morning, her only holiday for the entire year -Pippa, a silk weaver in the Italian town of
Asolo, goes out, sings and helps the poor.- Famous line:
“God's in his Heaven - All's right with the world"
c.
King Victor and King Charles 1842- based on an incident in Kingdom of Sardenia,
between elderly king Victor (father) and Charles (Son). Published in Bells
and Pomegranates No. II
d.
The Return of the Druses (1843)- a tragedy
in blank verse, published in Bells and Pomegranates No. IV
e.
A Bolt on the Scutcheon 1843- a tragedy in blank vers, published in Bells and Pomegranates No. V
f.
Colombe's Birthday (1844)- misadventures of
the fictional Duchess Colombe on the anniversary of her coronation. Published in Bells
and Pomegranates No. VI
g.
Luria (1846)- a tragedy in
blank verse. A Soul's Tragedy (1846) -a tragi‐comedy in
two acts: the first in verse, the second in prose- Published in Bells
and Pomegranates No. VIII
h.
In a Balcony (1855)- one act play-
published in Men and Women.
The Barretts of Wimpole Street is a 1930 play by
the Dutch/English dramatist Rudolf Besier, based on the romance between Robert
Browning and Elizabeth Barrett
FOR COMPLETE MATERIAL
CLICK HERE FOR
JL DL notes for APPSC/TGPSC/TREIRB
CLICK HERE FOR
1. Andrea del Sarto(1855)
Context/Background:
Andrea
del Sarto (1486–1530) is a real Italian Renaissance painter, nicknamed "The Faultless
Painter (senza errori)" for his technical mastery, but
criticized for lacking ambition and originality compared to contemporaries like
Michelangelo and Raphael.
Browning’s
dramatic monologue is based on Giorgio Vasari’s Lives of the Artists (1550),
which portrays Andrea as a skilled but weak-willed artist dominated by his
wife, Lucrezia. Poem is set in Florence, Spoken by Andrea to his wife,
Lucrezia
Short Summary:
This dramatic monologue “Andrea del
Sarto” is written in pentameter blank verse, mostly iambic and is narrated by
Renaissance painter Andrea del Sarto to his wife Lucrezia. They live in
Florence. Andrea begs Lucrezia that they end a quarrel over whether the painter
should sell his paintings to a friend of his wife's. He acquiesces to her wish
and promises he will give her the money if she will only hold his hand and sit
with him by the window from which they can survey Florence.
He admits to feeling a deep
melancholy, in which "a common grayness silvers everything" (line
35), and hopes she can pull him from it. He tells her that if she were to
smile for him, he would be able to pull himself from such sadness. Andrea
considers himself a failure as an artist, both because Lucrezia has lost her
"first pride" (line 37) in him and because he has only
one talent: the ability to create faultless paintings. Though many praise him
for creating flawless reproductions, which he admits he does easily, with "no
sketches first, no studies" (line 68), Andrea is aware that his work
lacks the spirit and soul that bless his contemporaries Rafael and Michel
Agnolo (Michelangelo). Considering himself only a "craftsman"
(line 82), he knows they are able to glimpse heaven whereas he is stuck
with earthly inspirations.
He acknowledges that an artist ought
be drawn towards the demands of high art, which pushes him to reach for the
heavens: "a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven
for?" (lines 97-98). And yet he repeatedly chooses to stay
Earth-bound, choosing to create paintings for money, to stay within his comfort
realm.
His contemporaries have perhaps gained
in ambition by lacking a wife. Andrea notes, Raphael, Michelangelo, and
Leonardo did not have wives: they lived for their work. It's clear that he is
under Lucrezia's thumb– in the beginning he acquiesces to painting for the sake
of her "friend's friend" (line 5)– and at the end, when he
sends her off to a 'cousin'(line 267), who is more than likely a lover,
and whose debts Lucrezia forces her husband to work in order to pay
He surveys a painting that has been
sent to him and notes how it has imperfections he could easily fix, but a "soul"
(line 108) he could never capture. He begins to blame Lucrezia for denying
him the soul that could have made him great, and while he forgives her for her
beauty, he accuses her of not having brought a "mind" (line 126)
that could have inspired him. He wonders whether what makes his contemporaries
great is their lack of a wife.
Andrea then reminisces on their past.
Long before, he had painted for a year in France as court painter for Francis,
the King of France, producing work of which both he and Lucrezia were proud.
But under the nagging influence of his wife Lucrezia, when she grew "restless"
(line 165), he left the French court for Italy but promised to return; he
took with him some money that Francis had given him to purchase Italian
artworks for the court. However, he spent all of the money on a house for
himself and his wife in Italy and never returned to France. However, he
contemplates that it could have gone no other way, since fate intended him to
be with Lucrezia, and he hopes future generations will forgive him his choices.
He recalls how Michelangelo once
complimented his talent to Rafael, but quickly loses that excitement as he
focuses on the imperfections of the painting in front of him and his own
failings. He begs Lucrezia to stay with him more often, sure that her love will
inspire him to greater achievements, and he could thereby "earn more,
give [her] more" (line 207).
Lucrezia is called from outside, by
her cousin, who is implicitly her lover, and Andrea begs her to stay. He notes
that the cousin has "loans" (line 221) that need paying, and
says he will pay those if she stays. She seems to decline the offer and to
insist she will leave.
In the poem's final section, Andrea
grows melancholy again and insists he does "regret little… would change
still less" (line 245). He justifies having fled France and sold out
his artistic integrity and praises himself for his prolific faultless
paintings. He notes again that Lucrezia is a part of his failure, but insists
that she was his choice. Finally, he gives her leave to go to her cousin.
Themes, Motifs and Symbols
Themes
1. The Conflict Between Art and Life: Andrea
del Sarto is torn between his artistic ambitions and his personal life,
particularly his troubled marriage with Lucrezia. Andrea laments that Lucrezia
does not appreciate his art and only cares for material pleasures. Financial
concerns and Lucrezia’s demands compromise Andrea’s artistic integrity.
Example: "I’ll work then for your friend’s friend, never fear,”
3. Lack of inspiration: Andrea’s
technical skill lacks spiritual depth. Unlike his peers, he produces soulless
perfection: For Andrea, producing flawless paintings is, “easy,” and he needs
no “sketches first, no studies” to work from, but paints “perfectly” without
preparation. but lacks the divine inspiration that artists like Raphael or
Michelangelo possess. He admits his work
is mechanically perfect but lacks soul. Andrea notes that, his contemporaries
Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo are successful because they did not have
wives.
4. Regret and Lost Potential: Andrea
reflects on his wasted talent. He regrets not pursuing his full potential,
blaming his weak will. Andrea along with Rapheal, Michael Angelo and Leonardo
wants to paint the four walls of heavenly blessed New Jerusalem, but he lost
the chance because of Lucrezia. "Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed
his grasp" underscores his self-awareness—and inaction.
4. Corruption and Betrayal:
Andrea
left France and setteled in Italy and built a house for Lucrezia with the money
given for paintings by French king Francis I. He is betrayed by Lucrezia
(cousin’s whistle refers to her lover) as he betrayed King Francis I.
Motifs
1. Gold and Silver (Materialism vs. Art): Andrea
repeatedly uses monetary language ("gold," "silver") to
describe art, symbolizing his reduction of creativity to commerce. His
paintings become transactions rather than masterpieces, mirroring his moral
compromise.
2. Light and Twilight: The
fading light ("The daylight comes, not day") mirrors Andrea’s dimming
genius and his resigned acceptance of failure. Unlike the vibrant dawn in Fra
Lippo Lippi, Andrea’s world is perpetually twilight—a liminal space between
greatness and decline.
3. The Silent Listener (Lucrezia’s Absence): Lucrezia’s
silence and indifference ("You turn your face, but does it bring your
heart?") amplify Andrea’s isolation. Her presence is a void, emphasizing
how his love for her drains his art of passion.
Symbols
1. The "Faultless" Paintings: Andrea’s
technically perfect but soulless works symbolize his moral and artistic
stagnation. Unlike the flawed but inspired frescoes of Fra Lippo Lippi,
Andrea’s art is "cold" and lifeless—a reflection of his emotional
compromises.
2. The "King Francis" Episode: Andrea’s
anecdote about King Francis I praising his skill, contrasts with his current
degradation. The king symbolizes the recognition Andrea could have achieved had
he not abandoned his ambition for Lucrezia.
3. The Cousin’s Whistle: The
recurring interruption of Lucrezia’s lover (the "cousin") symbolizes
Andrea’s cuckoldry and emasculation. His passive reaction underscores his
resignation.
Line by line Summary
Lines 1-10
But do not let us quarrel any more,
No, my Lucrezia; bear with me for once:
Sit down and all shall happen as you wish.
You turn your face, but does it bring your
heart?
I’ll work then for your friend’s friend, never
fear,
Treat his own subject after his own way,
Fix his own time, accept too his own price,
And shut the money into this small hand
When next it takes mine. Will it? tenderly?
Oh, I’ll content him,—but to-morrow, Love!
The speaker of this poem, Andrea del
Sarto, begins the piece by addressing his wife. These two will be the
predominant characters that feature in this poem and many parts of the
monologue are clearly spoken to Lucrezia.
He asks her at the beginning of the poem if
they can just have one moment in which they are not fighting or “quarrel[ing].”
He hopes that she will listen to him for just this once as he has every
intention of conceding to her wishes. Lucrezia turns her face towards the
speaker but he does not believe that she is genuine. He asks her if she brought
“her heart” to their conversation.
Del Sarto tells his wife that he is willing to
do what she asked and pay, or lend money to her “friend’s friend. It is unclear
why the friend needs money but he promises to do it “to-morrow.”
FOR COMPLETE MATERIAL
CLICK HERE FOR
JL DL notes for APPSC/TGPSC/TREIRB
CLICK HERE FOR
2. My Last Duchess (1842)
Short Summary
"My Last Duchess (1842)",
Browining’s most famous dramatic monologue. It is published in 1842 in 3rd
volume of Dramatic Lyrics, a volume in his Bells and
Pomegranates series, under the title "I. Italy."
This was the first part of a longer piece in two parts called "Italy
and France."
This poem is loosely based on
historical events involving Alfonso, the Duke of Ferrara, who lived in the 16th
century.
It is narrated by the duke of Ferrara
to an envoy (representative) of another nobleman, whose daughter the duke is
soon to marry. As he shows the visitor through his palace, he stops before a
portrait of the late Duchess. The portrait was painted by Fra Pandolf, a
monk and painter whom the duke believes captured the singularity of the
duchess's glance. However, the duke insists to the envoy that his former wife’s
deep, passionate glance was not reserved solely for her husband. As he puts it,
she was "too easily impressed" into sharing her affable nature.
His tone grows harsh as he recollects
how she flirted with everyone, which insulted him since she did not give
special favor to the "gift" of his "nine-hundred-years-old"
family name and lineage. Duke reveals that he had killed her: "gave commands, Then all smiles stopped
together.” This line is a fine example of the usage of
euphemism.
Though the duke had murdered his wife,
and yet he is impressively charming, in his use of language. The duke also mentions
to the envoy, that he expects a high dowry, is a fine example of irony. His
story of murder is meant to give proactive warning to the woman he is soon to
marry.
The duke then ends his story and asks
the envoy to rise and accompany / walk with him "together" and he
points out a bronze bust of the god Neptune in his collection.
“My Last Duchess” engages its readers
on a psychological level. Because we hear only the Duke’s musings. Browning
forces his reader to become involved in the poem in order to understand it.
Finally, the reader understands that, like several other of Victorian female
characters, the Duchess has become a victim in the hands of Duke.
Form
“My Last Duchess” comprises 56 lines
(28 rhyming pentameter couplets). The lines do not employ end-stops; rather,
they use enjambment—that is, sentences and other grammatical units do not
necessarily conclude at the end of lines. The poem provides a classic example
of a dramatic monologue: the speaker is clearly distinct from the poet; an
audience is suggested but never appears in the poem; and the revelation of the
Duke’s character is the poem’s primary aim.
Themes:
Major Themes in My Last
Duchess
1. Pride
and Jealousy
- The Duke is proud and extremely jealous. He couldn't tolerate
his wife's friendly behavior with others.
·
He admits the
Duchess’s smiles were "not / Her husband’s presence only" (Lines
13-15), yet he expects exclusive devotion.
·
He resents her for
being too easily pleased and for smiling at others, which he interprets as
flirtation: "She had / A heart—how shall I say?— too soon made glad, /
Too easily impressed" (Lines 21-23).
·
He resents her
kindness, interpreting it as infidelity ("She liked whate’er / She looked
on" – Lines 23-24).
·
His jealousy leads him
to order her death ("I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped
together" – Lines 45-46).
2. Masculinity,
Power and Control
- The Duke wanted to control everything: and wants everyone to
obey him, including his wife, envoy and artists.
- The portrait of the Duchess is hidden behind a curtain,
accessible only by his permission "The curtain I have drawn for
you, but I." (Line 10)
- He tries to control the envoy: "Will’t please you
rise? We’ll meet / The company below then." (Lines 47–48).
- He boasts
about controlling famous artists ("Fra Pandolf’s hands /
Worked busily a day" (Lines 3-4) and mentions a statue "Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!" (Line 56).
·
The statue of Neptune
"taming a sea-horse" (Line 55) mirrors his desire to
"tame" women and subordinates.
·
His power extends to
life and death, as he casually admits to having his wife killed.
3. Possession
and Objectification of Women
- The Duke’s monologue reveals his authoritarian
nature—he treats his wife as a possession rather than a person: "That’s
my last Duchess painted on the wall, / Looking as if she were alive" (Lines
1-2).
- The Duchess is reduced to an art object, a
portrait hidden behind a curtain that only the Duke can reveal: "I call / That piece a wonder, now: Fra Pandolf’s hands
/ Worked busily a day, and there she stands." (Lines 3–4)
- His language reveals his misogyny, as he
describes her as something to be displayed and owned.
·
His next marriage is
just another transaction (he mentions the dowry, not love).
4. Social Hierarchy
- The Duke believes in strict social hierarchy and
expects his wife to recognize his superiority: "as
if she ranked / My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name / With anybody’s
gift"
- He is offended that she treats a sunset, a cherry
branch, and his "favour at her breast" with
equal appreciation (Lines 25-31).
- His worldview is rigid, whereas the Duchess was
democratic in her kindness.
5. The Ego-Driven Desire for Control
- The Duke’s arrogance shapes his interactions—he
insists on dictating how others see him.
- His monologue is a performance for the emissary,
subtly negotiating his next marriage while asserting dominance.
- His refusal to "stoop" (Line
43) reveals his inflated self-image.
·
His casual tone about
her murder ("as if alive" – Line 2) highlights his moral detachment.
6. Performance and Deception
- The entire monologue is a manipulative
performance.
- He veils threats in politeness ("Will’t please you sit and
look at her?" – Line 5).
- He downplays his brutality with euphemisms ("commands" instead
of "murder").
- The poem’s form (dramatic monologue) forces the
reader to decode the Duke’s true nature.
Key Symbols:
1.
The Portrait: Symbol of
Duke’s control over his late wife—both in life (as an object of possession) and
in death (as a silenced artwork).
2.
The Curtain: Symbol of
secrecy and the Duke’s power to hide or reveal his wife’s image at will. Also
hints at his sinister nature (like a veil over violence).
3.
Neptune Taming a
Seahorse: Symbol
of dominance and control- Reflects the Duke’s
desire to dominate, mirroring his treatment of his wife and his next bride.
Line by line Summary
Lines 1-2
FERRARA
THAT’S my last Duchess painted on the wall,
Looking as if she were alive.
The speaker points out a beautiful portrait of
his "last Duchess" that’s painted on the wall.
This tells us that the speaker is a Duke, that
his wife is dead, and that someone is listening to him describe his late wife’s
portrait, possibly in his private art gallery.
Lines 2-4
I call
That piece a wonder, now: Frà Pandolf’s hands
Worked busily a day, and there she stands.
The Duke tells his mysterious listener that
the painting of the Duchess is impressively accurate.
The painter, Frà (or "Friar")
Pandolf, worked hard to achieve a realistic effect.
Notice that the Duke’s comment "there she
stands" suggests that this is a full-length portrait of the Duchess
showing her entire body, not just a close-up of her face.
FOR COMPLETE MATERIAL
CLICK HERE FOR
JL DL notes for APPSC/TGPSC/TREIRB
CLICK HERE FOR
0 comments:
Post a Comment