In order to answer an essay question on any poem it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:
- The poem in a nutshell
- A “translation” of the poem, section-by-section
- A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Robert Browning’s intention and message
‘My Last Duchess' in a nutshell
Robert Browning's dramatic monologue, ‘My Last Duchess’, is an examination of jealous love and the dangers of imbalanced romantic relationships.
‘My Last Duchess' breakdown
Lines 1–4
“That’s My Last Duchess painted on the wall,
Looking as if she were alive. I call
That a piece of wonder, now; Fra Pandolf’s hands
Worked busily a day, and there she stands.”
Translation
- The poem opens with the first-person narrator, the Duke, showing a guest a painting of his former wife
- He says she is “Looking as if she were alive”, implying that she is no longer alive
- The Duke is proud of the painting, and name-drops the artist, “Fra Pandolf”, who “worked busily” on it, implying the painting is of value
Browning’s intention
- The speaker takes on the persona of the Duke of Ferrara:
- This means that Browning can use the character to convey his message about the abuse of power and control
- The speaker establishes control from the start by using the possessive pronoun “my”
- “I call that a piece of wonder” is ominous as it suggests that the Duke is viewing his dead wife as a piece of art and a possession to be owned
Lines 5–8
“Will’t please you sit and look at her? I said
‘Fra Pandolf’ by design, for never read
Strangers like you that pictured countenance,
The depth and passion of its earnest glance,”
Translation
- The Duke invites his visitor to sit down and look at the painting
- He repeats that the painter was “Fra Pandolf”, a painter and a monk:
- He says this because people have commented on the passion and depiction of her facial expression (her “countenance”)
- The Duke is boasting about how famous the artist is, demonstrating his influence and wealth
Browning’s intention
- The rhetorical question inviting the guest to sit and look does not require a reply, implying it is more of a command than an optional invitation:
- This presents the Duke as controlling
- The fact that “Fra” stands for “Brother”, and the artist is a monk, suggests he is trustworthy
Lines 9–13
“But to myself they turned (since none puts by
The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)
And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst,
How such a glance came there; so, not the first
Are you to turn and ask thus. -”
Translation
- The Duke states that he is the only person allowed to pull back the curtain:
- The curtain is designed to hide her and the Duke controls who can see her
- Others have asked, if they dared (“if they durst”), about how the expression on the Duchess’s face came to be:
- The Duke appears to become frustrated at the attention his former wife receives
Browning’s intention
- This section of the poem reveals more about the Duke’s controlling nature
- This behaviour is sinister and begins to suggest he is fearful and dangerous
Lines 13–15
“-Sir, ‘twas not”
Her husband’s presence only, called that spot
Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek; -”
Translation
- The Duke describes that he was not the only man who could lead the Duchess to have a “spot of joy”, meaning a blush, on her cheek
Browning’s intention
- Blushing is associated with flirtation, so the Duke is suggesting that men may have flirted with the Duchess
- This was unacceptable to the Duke at a time when marriage within such upper-class families meant a woman became contractual property of her husband
- Browning implies the Duke is paranoid and possessive
Lines 15–21
“-perhaps
Fra Pandolf chanced to say, ‘Her mantle laps
Over my lady’s wrist too much,’ or ‘Paint
Must never hope to reproduce the faint
Half-flush that dies along her throat.’ Such stuff
Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough
For calling up that spot of joy. She had”
Translation
- The Duke saw Fra Pandolf asking the Duchess to move her shawl (her “mantle”) so that it would uncover more of her wrist:
- At this moment, the Duchess was blushing at Fra Pandolf’s suggestion
- She thought Fra Pandolf was complimenting her
- The Duke believes that she is too easily impressed or aroused
Browning’s intention
- The Duke criticises the Duchess for her flirtatious and easily-manipulated nature
- The reference to the “Half-flush that dies along her throat” foreshadows her eventual fate
Lines 22–31
“A heart - how shall I say? - too soon made glad,
Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er
She looked on, and her looks went everywhere.
Sir, ‘twas all one! My favour at her breast,
The dropping of the daylight in the West,
The bough of cherries some officious fool
Broke in the orchard for her, the while mule
She rode with round the terrace - all and each
Would draw from her alike the approving speech,
Or blush, at least. -”
Translation
- The Duke again complains that the Duchess was too friendly with men: “her looks went everywhere”, meaning she liked whoever she saw and was not sophisticated
- The “favour at her breast” is a piece of jewellery given to her by the Duke:
- The word “favour” suggests he believes he is kind and generous to his wife
- The Duke describes a romantic natural setting: the sunset and a “bough of cherries”
- He relates how “some officious fool” gave her cherries as a gift and implies it was a ridiculous present:
- The white mule is the offspring of a donkey and a horse and suggests the man is of lower status than the Duke
- The fact the Duchess likes such simple things maddens the Duke
Browning’s intention
- Browning illustrates how the Duchess’s independence seems to conflict with the Duke’s perception of how she should behave
- His rant and paranoia presents him as unlikeable and unsympathetic
- Browning comments on wealth and status as a driving factor in the conflicted relationship
Lines 31–43
“- She thanked men - good! but thanked
Somehow - I know not how - as if she ranked
My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name
With anybody’s gift. Who’d stoop to blame
This sort of trifling? Even had you skill
In speech - which I have not - to make your will
Quite clear to such an one, and say, ‘Just this
Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss,
Or there exceed the mark’ - and if she let
Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set
Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse -
E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose
Never to stoop. -”
Translation
- The Duke implies that the Duchess “thanked” men, which is to be expected, but that she was indiscriminately grateful:
- He complains that she saw his “nine-hundred-years-old name” as the same as any gift
- The Duke tells his guest (ironically) that if he was better at persuasive speech he may have been able to explain the Duchess’s faults to her and teach her
- He says he should be able to tell her what disgusts him about her or where she is “missing the mark”
- Unfortunately, he says, that would be perceived as “stooping” and would show him as submissive to her, which he will never do
Browning’s intention
- The repetition of “stoop” implies the Duke’s prideful, arrogant nature
- His casual conversation about her faults with a stranger also presents his disrespectful attitude to his last wife
- This, and the fact the speech is a long, persuasive rant, makes these lines ironic and mocks the Duke
Lines 43–47
“- Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt,
When’er I passed her; but who passed without
Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands;
Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands
As if alive. -”
Translation
- The Duke complains that, while she did smile at him, she gave him the same smile as everyone else
- His frustration grew as she continued to defy his wishes
- He therefore “gave commands”, implying he instructed someone else to kill her
- The Duke points out that she looks “as if alive” in the painting, offering a dark, cynical insight into his character
Browning’s intention
- Browning describes the Duchess’s death with sibilance, “smiles stopping”:
- The dark implication is highlighted, signifying not only the end of her happiness, but also the end of her life
- This conveys the Duke’s absolute power over his wife
Lines 47–56
“- Will’t please you rise? We’ll meet
The company below, then. I repeat,
The Count your master’s known munificence
Is ample warrant that no just pretense
Of mine for dowry will be disallowed;
Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed
At starting, is my object. Nay, we’ll go
Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though,
Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,
Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!”
Translation
- Here it is revealed that the Duke is discussing his last Duchess with an emissary for a Count who is looking to marry his daughter to the Duke:
- “The company below” are further guests of the Duke downstairs
- The Duke knows of the Count’s “munificence”, meaning his generosity:
- Because of this, the Duke believes he can demand any dowry
- But he insists that his “fair daughter’s self” is his primary focus, meaning the Count’s beautiful daughter
- He states that, when married, his wife will become “my object”
- The final two images of Neptune “taming a sea-horse” suggests the powerful ruler of the seas controlling a delicate, innocent creature like a sea-horse:
- The metaphor of Neptune implies the Duke sees himself as god-like
- The Duke again boasts of a piece of art he has had created by a famous artist
- By ending the poem with “for me”, the Duke leaves the impression that everything must be done only for him and he desires exclusive ownership
Browning’s intention
- Browning’s menacing tone presents an ominous future for the next Duchess
- Again, the poem illustrates the Duke’s focus on status and wealth and suggests this makes the relationship imbalanced and dangerous
- Ultimately, Browning presents a powerful male speaker who objectifies women:
- The women’s voices are silenced liked the guest’s voice
- The poem offers a critique on contractual relationships