“My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning

This poem is from the Victorian era the verses of that era was composed in the region of Queen Victoria
in English(1837-1901). The poems were written in this majorly topics majorly on realist life rather than
idealists life. Portrays the practical life completely. They based on truths, justice and love. The famous
topics were romance, social injustice, love, loss of innocence. The famous poets of that time were
Robert Browning, Alfred Tennyson and Elizabeth Browning.

The verses I have to explain is from the poem “ My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning. The poem is a
dramatic monologue. Dramatic monologue means self conversation. A person speaking to himself or
someone to reveal his feelings of emotions.

Robert Browning was born May 7, 1812, London and died on December 12, 1889, Venice. He was the
famous poet of his era, the Victorian era and was known because of the grip of dramatic monologue and
physiological portraiture. The best work of his which is notable “ The Ring and The Book” (1868-1869l.
The story of a Roman murder trial in 12 books. His first published work, “Pauline: A Fragment of a
Confession”( 1833, Anonymous) and was also a dramatic monologue.

In this poem, the poet Robert Browning is explaining the power of the duke over her duchess, the power
of politics, the priority of her image over anything. In the first line of my group, the poet is saying that
who passed this world this simple or this quietly as she passed it. She is smiling as always but duke
doesn’t like that he gave commands to stop this smile this instance and then the duchess follow the
command and all the smiling stops altogether without any questions. And she is standing with no
expression on her face and the poet is saying as she is alive or not. Then the duke said we will meet the
company below which is referring to her new bride and he is going to meet her to decide whether he
wants to marry her or not. And then poet, the speaker said generously after you master, which means as
you say we all will do. The show of power and money is at its peak. The Speaker is saying that whatever
the duke saying is enough the warrant for that is not needed. And so the duke said that the dowry will
be not acceptable and will not be entertained. All the duke want is the bride, the daughter of a powerful
man to marry and get more powerful by that he doesn’t want anything else just her daughter which will
be his assert. And that was his point of view. And then speaker wants himself free from the duke but the
duke said we will go down together so he was helpless. The ending line of the poem

Notice Neptune, though,

Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,

Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!

This refers to another book of the Browning, in which the main topic was also power. The poet is saying
that the duke reduced his wife to a piece of art. The duke was over-controlling his wife and that’s what
he is going to do with the new one and so on.

Name : Rimsha Shabbir

Roll no : F2020341015

Group: 3rd