My Last Duchess Poem Analysis

Poetry is a form of literary art which utilizes many means of delivering meaning, advancing plot, and revealing important information to readers, leading them to conclusions and hiding suggestions within the poem. As a result there are many poems whose meanings can be more quickly or completely realized by examining some of the less immediately apparent elements of the poem, especially structure and sound. Poetry is primarily an aural form of expression and as a result much is expressed through language and the manner it is spoken. An especially important element of the auditory side of poetry is meter, which is the rhythm and emphasis with which words are spoken. By placing emphasis on certain words a poet is able to reveal information and meaning …show more content…
Utilization of meter in this manner is common in many poetical works such as Shakespeare 's “Sonnet 18”, Browning 's “My Last Duchess”, and Shelley 's “Ozymandias”. In “Sonnet 18” meter is used to hint at the true nature of the author 's intentions in the beginning and then later to emphasize this nature as it appears more prominently. Additionally, in “My Last Duchess” a similar use of meter occurs as the story begins with meter being used to show character traits before they are more obviously displayed by the Duke, then later to emphasize these traits in his more revealing lines. At last, the sonnet “Ozymandias” repeatedly utilizes meter as a means of emphasizing the king Ozymandias ' supposed personality without ever actually meeting him or hearing of his real exploits. These examples show the importance of considering meter when analyzing literary works, as they clearly demonstrate how important elements of the plot or character 's personality can be foreshadowed simply by the emphasis or lack thereof placed on certain words or syllables within a