The Last Ride Together

Robert Browning

B.A Part III

English Compulsory
By
Jaspreet Kaur
 Robert Browning
1812-1889
• Mostly privately educated.
• Published his first long poem Pauline at
20.
• Other works: Dramatic Lyrics, Dramatic
Romances.
• Last volumes of poems Asolando
published on the day of his death.
• Poetry reflects optimism.
 Introduction to the poem
• Taken from Browning’s Dramatic
Romances.
• Is a dramatic monologue.
• Is the utterance of a lover obsessed by
love.
• Theme- Importance of striving.
• Love has not been requited; the lover
overcomes his anguish, rides with his love
for the last time.
Stanza 1
• Theme is unusual in love poetry: very far
from conventional lover’s complaint.
• There is no bitterness, anger, despair.
• Lover is happy that the uncertainty is over.
• Finds happiness in what there is rather
than what could have been.
Stanza 2
• The lady hesitates, the lover hangs
between life and death.
• The request for the ride is granted.
• The lover feels deified- like a deity.
Stanza 3
• Beautiful image of nature.
• The western cloud is heavily burdened
with the many blessings- thrice blessed by
the sun, the moon and the evening star.
Stanza 4
• The lover feels refreshed and happy in the
beloved’s company.
• His soul is soothed by the ride, like
crumpled paper unrolled by the wind.
• Finds comfort in the thought that at least
the lady does not hate him.
Stanza 5
• Man’s achievements are always petty,
unimportant in comparison to his constant
struggles.
• The lover at least has been granted the
grace of one hour.
Stanza 6
• Man’s actions/dreams never perfectly translate
into reality.
• Limitations of the flesh, the body ever present.
• A politicians reward is only a small obituary, a
soldier gets his name carelessly “scratched” on
his grave.
• The lover at least has not failed completely.
Stanza 7
• The poet inspired by beauty himself lives in
poverty and ugliness.
• The lover at least enjoys the ride that the poet
can only write about.
Stanza 8
• The comparison is to a sculptor and a
musician.
• The sculptor spends 20 years to make a
statue of Venus, can’t stop people from
turning their eyes to a real beautiful girl.
• A musician can’t stay popular forever,
fashions in music keep changing.
• The lover at least has his beloved now.
Stanza 9
• The speaker concludes- not easy to
decide what is good for man.
• Some dreams must remain unfulfilled.
• So hope remains for future (in heaven).
Stanza 10
• The speaker decides- heaven is nothing
but realization of highest hopes and
dreams.
• Wants this moment to become eternal, to
enjoy the lady’s company forever.
 Vocabulary
• Demurs: lingers
• Benedictions: blessings
• Awry: gone wrong
• Aquiesce: agree
• Deified: became a god
 How does the attitude of the lover in this
poem reflect Browning’s attitude towards
the importance of striving and his
optimism?

Prepared by
Jaspreet Kaur
Associate Professor
Dept. of English
PGGC-11, Chd.