My Last Duchess

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…

Throughout time, there is an ever-present sense of duty and loyalty that make up a culture. Each time period consists of various factors that when added up equal a robust structure. When broken down, two main elements can be seen that make up the system; the men and the women. Whether their lives were that of unity or separated due to issue of sex is properly conveyed in the history of their time has yet to be answered; however, from viewing the works left behind from various authors and poets…

In Shakespeare's Othello, Herman Melville's Moby Dick, and Robert Browning’s My Last Duchess the main characters are all consumed by an unhealthy obsession that leads to tragic results for those around them. Obsessions are all consuming, and takes all of one's focus. An example of this is Captain Ahab in Moby Dick. His flaw is that he has became consumed with the idea of the whale and let it guide his every action. He lived his life for the sole purpose of this animal. This is an allegory to…

Robert Browning and Christina Rossetti illustrate women’s oppression by men in Victorian society within their poems, “My Last Duchess” and “Goblin Market.” The Duchess, Laura, and Lizzie all act against the expectations set for them with varying ramifications. The poets use different narrative perspectives and careful word choice in order to depict the subjugation of these women, their rebellion against it, and the punishment they face for rebelling, calling public attention to the mistreatment…

first twenty lines of the poem, and furthermore brings out the insane qualities of the lover. After she “laid her soiled gloves by,” as if she were just digging her own grave, “She put my arm about her waist, / And made her smoother white shoulder bare, / And all her yellow hair displaced, / And, stooping, made my cheek lie there, / And spread o’er all, her yellow hair” (line 15). The inverted syntax gives emphasis to the verbs at the end of the sentence, giving sexual, comforting connotations…

Introduction - Duffy and Browning both traverse the concept of personal power and power distribution in the poems “War Photographer” and “My Last Duchess”. Duffy, through the use of imagery, metaphors and personification aims to portray the power the photographer has, however it is not enough to impact readers in his home country. Browning aims to criticize the patriarchal society, power control between the sexes and the attitude of the upperclassmen during the Victorian times, through the…

be focusing on: ‘A Mother in a refugee camp’, ‘My last duchess’ and ‘Do not go gentle into that good night. In ‘A Mother in a refugee camp’ a mother is with her child as he is experiencing his final moments of life, all the while she is cherishing the memories she has of him. In ‘My last duchess’ a cold and callous Duke is talking to the envoy of his future duchess whom he wishes to marry, bragging about how he…

In the poems, Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy and Let me describe for you her eyes by Glenn Colquhoun, the writers have used many different language techniques to show their thoughts on relationships. In Valentine, Carol Ann Duffy uses metaphors and personification to communicate her ideas about love. She thinks that love isn’t always good and joyful and can be miserable and heart breaking. In Let me describe for you her eyes, Glenn Colquhoun uses metaphors and similes to let the readers know his…

Introduction to Author Oscar Wilde was a Anglo- English author, playwright, novelist, critic and poet. He was a popular literary figure in late Victorian England, known for his brilliant wit, flamboyant style. After graduating from Oxford University, he lectured as a poet, art critic and a leading proponent of the principles of aestheticism which emphasized aesthetic values more than moral or social themes. This doctrine can be clearly summarized by the phrase ‘art for art’s sake’. In 1890, he…

The characters portrayed by Browning in his dramatic monologues are various and often rise from the world of the Italian Renaissance. From the artist Fra Lippo Lippi who has become a monk without his will, to Andrea del Sarto, a great painter who has subordinated his art to the demands of an exploitative wife, Browning manages to reveal the true value of art. The pictures of great artists blended with historical detail are embodied in his poems. Vasari’s Lives of the artistsis the source of the…