“My Last Duchess” and “Checking Out Me History” both express anger through a first person perspective, in the form of a dramatic monologue, although the poems offer two different portrayals of anger. In Browning’s poem, the reader is introduced to a seemingly expressive and biased rant from the Duke about his past Duchess, speaking to an envoy. ‘My’, the possessive pronoun, implies he sees women as possessions. The Duke thinks the world revolves around him because he owns "a nine-hundred-years-old name”, the reader realizes with certainty that the Duke in fact caused the Duchess’s early demise. In criticising the character of his past wife, he reveals his very synthetic personality. While in Agard’s poem the topic is drawn to an experience
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Browning’s language is archaic and dark - the use of metaphors such as “half-flush that dies along her throat.” “calling up that spot of joy” adds a dynamic effect on the reader by creating a hidden meaning. ‘This grew. I gave commands. Then all smiles stopped together’. Short sentences convey his short temper and there is a sense of euphemism, it shows how carefully he chooses his words, acting as he was being diplomatic. The reader can get a sense of a dark and controlling feeling by the way the Duke portrays his anger. Nevertheless, the tone and language in Agard’s poem in the "Dem tell me" sections have an accusatory, rebellious tone to them, created by repetition and short lines at the beginning. Whereas the sections on his own historical figures are celebratory in tone, emphasised by images of nature, for example “healing star” or “yellow sunrise”. These dramatic metaphors illuminate the poet's true thoughts. The poem also uses repeated metaphors to do with sight and vision. This helps to present his frustration to the reader in a clear way. His own vision has been bandaged by incorrect versions of Caribbean history, until now, he has been …show more content…
During the Duke’s speech, he objectifies the Duchess and believes that he possesses her. This raises the question of whether the Duke cared about his past wife, since his high opinion of himself and his misogynistic views were significant throughout the poem. The poet’s use of rhetorical questions imply the reader must agree with the Duke – he wants to justify his behaviour as if it’s normal, and his commanding presence. Browning shows, in a clever way, that commenting on a certain subject can reveal more about the person making the comments than the subject itself. The Duke comments on his wealth, tries to justify and objectifies the Duchess anew, as the poem is set in a patriarchal society. However, in Agard’s poem, there is a positive and purposeful turning point in the last stanza of the poem. "But now I checking out me own history" suggests determination in the narrator's voice, and a sense that things are going to change. This end focus gives the reader a powerful imprint on their mind, the poet might be provoking us to "check out" our own imperative
Browning’s language is archaic and dark - the use of metaphors such as “half-flush that dies along her throat.” “calling up that spot of joy” adds a dynamic effect on the reader by creating a hidden meaning. ‘This grew. I gave commands. Then all smiles stopped together’. Short sentences convey his short temper and there is a sense of euphemism, it shows how carefully he chooses his words, acting as he was being diplomatic. The reader can get a sense of a dark and controlling feeling by the way the Duke portrays his anger. Nevertheless, the tone and language in Agard’s poem in the "Dem tell me" sections have an accusatory, rebellious tone to them, created by repetition and short lines at the beginning. Whereas the sections on his own historical figures are celebratory in tone, emphasised by images of nature, for example “healing star” or “yellow sunrise”. These dramatic metaphors illuminate the poet's true thoughts. The poem also uses repeated metaphors to do with sight and vision. This helps to present his frustration to the reader in a clear way. His own vision has been bandaged by incorrect versions of Caribbean history, until now, he has been …show more content…
During the Duke’s speech, he objectifies the Duchess and believes that he possesses her. This raises the question of whether the Duke cared about his past wife, since his high opinion of himself and his misogynistic views were significant throughout the poem. The poet’s use of rhetorical questions imply the reader must agree with the Duke – he wants to justify his behaviour as if it’s normal, and his commanding presence. Browning shows, in a clever way, that commenting on a certain subject can reveal more about the person making the comments than the subject itself. The Duke comments on his wealth, tries to justify and objectifies the Duchess anew, as the poem is set in a patriarchal society. However, in Agard’s poem, there is a positive and purposeful turning point in the last stanza of the poem. "But now I checking out me own history" suggests determination in the narrator's voice, and a sense that things are going to change. This end focus gives the reader a powerful imprint on their mind, the poet might be provoking us to "check out" our own imperative