Gender Issues In Victorian Poetry

It is widely acknowledged that gender issues are still found in a variety of societies across the globe today. It is also commonly recognized that gender issues have been prominent over the course of history, even in some of the world’s most highly praised societies. What often go unnoticed, however, are the radical literary works within those societies which have, over time, confronted gender dispositions in an attempt to mobilize readers against the typical societal consent that often occurs when dealing with contemporary gender issues. Many Victorian poets, for example, used their poetic prowess to address and question the gender issues they saw in society, as well as to interrogate their origins and the context of their formation. Robert …show more content…
The poet’s choice to utilize couplets throughout his dramatic monologue is clearly ironic as the Duke represents a strong narcissism, as well as a blatant embodiment of the objectification of women that Browning suggests makes him unpaired, and unmatchable. Browning’s choice to use these contrasting couplets, then, calls into question the logic of the speaker himself. If there is irony in the physical nature of the poem, does Browning suggest there is an irony that exists in the content of the Duke’s words themselves? It sure seems that way. By contrasting the use of these poetic couplets with the Duke’s words in “My Last Duchess,” Browning is able to bring further attention to his argument against the societal gender issues of his time; particularly the objectification of, possession of, and misunderstanding of, women within his contemporary