My Last Duchess (AQA GCSE English Literature)

Each poetry anthology in the GCSE contains 15 poems, and in the poetry question in the exam you will be given one poem on the paper - printed in full - and asked to compare this given poem to one other from the anthology. As this is a “closed book” exam, you will not have access to the other poems, so you will have to know them very well from memory. Fifteen poems is a lot to learn. However, understanding four things will enable you to produce a top-mark response:

• The meaning of the poem
• The ideas and messages the poet wanted to convey
• How the poet conveys these ideas and messages through their methods
• How do these ideas compare and contrast with the ideas and themes of other poems in the anthology

Below is a guide to My Last Duchess by Robert Browning, from the Power and Conflict anthology. It includes:

• Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations
• Writer’s methods: an exploration of the poet’s techniques and methods
• Context: an exploration of the context of the poem, relevant to its themes
• What to compare it to: ideas about which poems to compare it to in the exam

In order to answer an essay question on any poem, it is essential 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 Browning’s intention and message

My Last Duchess in a Nutshell

My Last Duchess is a dramatic monologue written by Victorian poet Robert Browning in 1842. The Duke of Ferrara is the speaker of the poem, who tells us that he is entertaining an emissary who has come to negotiate the Duke’s marriage to the daughter of another powerful family. The Duke uses a painting of his former wife as a conversation piece, and suggests that she did something that he didn’t approve of. The rest of the poem is a subtle warning about what happens to those women who disappoint him, as his last wife (his last duchess) is now deceased. 

The poem deals mainly with themes of power (and its abuse), ownership and male attitudes toward women. Conflict is also represented in terms of how the Duke presents himself to the outside world versus his true nature.

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 the emissary painting of his former wife on the wall
• “Looking as if she were alive” implies 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”
• The reader’s interest is engaged by wondering why this is his “last” Duchess. What happened to her?
• “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

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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, in case there is any doubt, 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), and wonder which artist could capture it in such a fine way
• 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 adds to the sense of the Duke’s controlling nature
• The fact that “Fra” stands for “Brother”, meaning the artist is a monk, is suggesting that there was no impropriety in the process of completing the painting itself

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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 reader learns that the Duke is the only person allowed to pull back the curtain to reveal the painting
• 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 be frustrated at all the attention his former wife is receiving
• The curtain is designed to hide her and the Duke controls who can see her

Browning’s intention

• This section of the poem reveals more about the Duke’s controlling nature
• By covering the painting with the curtain, the Duke is able to control who sees her in death in a way he could not in life (more about this is revealed later)
• This behaviour is sinister and the reader begins to wonder if he was involved in her death, perhaps covering the painting as a symptom of his guilt
• His comment “if they durst” shows he has power over others and people are scared of him, as they wouldn’t dare ask him about the painting

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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 filtration, and so the Duke is suggesting that many men may have flirted with the Duchess
• This was unacceptable to the Duke at a time when, upon marriage, a woman lost many of her rights and essentially became the property of her husband
• The Duke is suggesting that it should only be him that causes such a flush on her face
• There is also the implication here that the Duke is a bit paranoid and overly possessive of his wife
• Now she is his possession, a physical painting on a wall, he could be the only one to see that look of joy on her face - he would not allow anyone else to see it without his permission

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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 is criticising the Duchess as someone who was too easy to flirt with and too friendly with other men
• The reader cannot be sure if this is true, as pride and jealousy may have caused the Duke to believe his wife would flirt with a monk
• The reference to the “half-flush that dies along her throat” foreshadows her eventual fate

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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 is again implying that the Duchess was too friendly with men
• He describes the Duchess as liking whomever she saw
• The fact that “her looks went everywhere” is the Duke attempting to convey that she was unfaithful
• He also suggests that the Duchess was not fussy, and saw all affection as equal
• The “favour at her breast” is a piece of jewellery given to her by the Duke
• The fact that it is worn at her breast adds a sexual undertone
• The Duke then lists the sunset, as well as the “bough of cherries”
• This is a gift she received from “some officious fool” whom the Duke believed to be of lower status
• The white mule is the offspring of a donkey and a horse. A mule is typically sterile
• All of these things would give the Duchess equal pleasure
• This angers the Duke, as he feels outraged that she should get the same pleasure from a bunch of cherries given to her by someone of lower rank, as from a gift of jewellery from her husband, the Duke

Browning’s intention

• The fact that the Duchess seemed to have a mind of her own conflicts with the Duke’s perception of how she should act as a wife
• His attempts to convey her unfaithfulness and her flaws may act as the justification for what happened to her
• The imagery of the sunset can be seen as a pathetic fallacy and foreshadowing of her life coming to an end, like the end of the day
• The connotation of infertility with the mule may imply that the marriage was childless - another justification for the Duke’s actions
• The Duke believes that his wealth and status should be more important even than beauty and nature
• The fact that the Duchess also likes other things is viewed as a criticism of himself, presenting him as insecure and jealous
• His pride is hurt as all of her affections are not reserved just for him
• He is reliant on the complete control and dominance of women to make himself feel powerful and desirable

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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. The use of “good!” is ironic, as he doesn’t think her behaviour is “good” at all
• The Duke believes he paid for the Duchess with the gift of his “nine-hundred-year-old name” and that she should be grateful
• This implies she was of a lower social status than him
• He then imagines a hypothetical situation in which he would confront his former Duchess, if he was better with words, in which he was able to clearly tell her that her behaviour disgusted him or is not what is expected of her (she is “missing the mark”)
• He says he could lower himself to teach her how to behave, but then he would be “stooping” and he chooses “never to stoop”

Browning’s intention

• Repetition of “stoop” implies the Duchess’ lower status and the Duke’s unwillingness to go down to her level. It is beneath him to teach her how to behave
• She was not sophisticated enough to see the greater worth of the Duke’s ancient name - she liked everything the same
• He is irritated that she does not seem to appreciate his importance and status
• By marrying her, he had given her his “nine-hundred-years-old name”, revealing his family had been around for a long time
• However, he seems comfortable enough discussing what he disliked about the Duchess with a stranger
• Perhaps he thought he shouldn’t have to stoop to talk to a woman, even if she was his wife

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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 whenever he passed, she gave him the same smile as everyone else
• His frustration grew as her continued to break the “rules” of marriage
• He therefore “gave commands”, which implies that he instructed someone else to murder her
• The Duke points out that she looks “as if alive” in the painting, juxtaposing with the revelation of her death

Browning’s intention

• Browning describes her death as her “smiles stopping” 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 and the overall power that he has - that he can just kill someone without consequence
• It also demonstrates a loss of control (he “snapped”)

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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

• It is possible that the Duke is explaining, in a menacing tone, the actions he would take if his next wife does not live up to his expectations
• By suggesting that the Count will give him a substantial amount of money for his daughter’s dowry, he is possibly giving a veiled threat about what may happen to the Count’s daughter if he is not paid what he believes his power and status are worth
• Ultimately, the Duke objectifies women, and as the only voice in the poem is the Duke’s, he has robbed his Duchess of her voice and her power

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Although this section is organised into three separate sections - form, structure and language - it is important to take an integrated approach to AO2, focusing on the main themes and ideas of the poem and then evaluating how Browning’s choices of language, structure and form contribute to these ideas. In essence, how and why the poet has made the choices they have, in relation to their intentions and message. Remember, in this poem, Browning has deliberately crafted the character of the Duke via his choices of form, structure and language.

Focusing on the poet’s main ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. In the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes Browning’s intentions behind his choices in terms of:

• Form
• Structure
• Language

Form

The poem is written in the form of a dramatic monologue, not from Browning’s point of view, but from a fictional character’s (the Duke’s). This demonstrates the character’s dominance and control in the poem

Theme	Evidence	Poet’s intention
Power and Control	The poem is written in the first person and in the present tense	This enables the speaker to control what he tells the reader, including whether what he is saying is true, biased or exaggerated
		This could reflect the power the Duke holds, both politically and over his wives
	The perspective in the poem is entirely the Duke’s	Shows the controlling presence of the Duke. He doesn’t let anyone else speak
		We are given a one-sided account, and it is up to the reader to read between the lines to find the truth
		The Duchess’s side of the story is not told, which implies the lack of feminine narrative in Victorian society
		Women had no right to vote or hold power outside of the home, so were politically silenced
		Browning is criticising the Duke’s abuse of power over his wife, so is therefore criticising the inequality between men and women in his society

Structure

Browning structures the poem in one single stanza, reflecting the Duke’s mastery, but his use of punctuation fractures the poem as it progresses, mirroring the fracturing of the Duke’s calm exterior manner to reveal the emotions, frustration and violence within

Theme	Evidence	Poet’s intention
Power and mastery	Single verse/no stanzas	This shows the poem is set in one single place and moment in time
		Makes the Duke’s dominance overwhelming, as the single stanza structure also seems overwhelming at first
		Poet gives a sense of the poem being the Duke’s stream of consiousness - his unfiltered thoughts and feelings
		This suggests he lacks control over himself, even though he tries to exert control over others
	Poem uses traditional iambic pentameter	Reflects how the Duke holds traditional views about women
		The regular rhyme scheme also gives a natural, conversational tone
	Browning uses rhyming couplets, such as:  “That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall,  Looking as if she were alive. I call…”	This suggests the Duke’s desire for control, by using carefully considered and refined speech
	Browning adds to the sense of natural speech through the use of enjambment	The Duke again dominates the conversation, but the enjambment shows he is rambling (linking again to the sense of this being a stream of consciousness)
	For example,  “The bough of cherries some officious fool Broke in the orchard for her…”	When he loses control of the structure of his speech, he reveals glimpses of his inner nature
	Browning continues to interrupt the Duke’s speech through the use of punctuation, such as parenthesis and dashes	The deliberate use of punctuation demonstrates the Duke getting sidetracked
	For example: “But to myself they turned (since none puts by The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)” And: “A heart - how shall I say? - too soon made glad,”	This suggests his smooth exterior is starting to crack, and his inner emotions and violence are starting to show, as he cannot keep up the controlled conversational meter
	Browning also employs caesura to show that the Duke keeps interrupting himself	This further breaks up the rhythm of the poem and makes it tiring to listen to
		This does not concern the Duke, however, which can be seen as a sign of too much pride and self-obsession
		Even when he does imply his last Duchess’s fate, he then returns to his smooth rhythm and polite facade

Language

Browning further brings the character of the Duke to life through his choice of language but does not employ many literary devices, so that when he does, they stand out. The language is quite simple in order for the character of the Duke to give a clear message about not challenging his power. Here, language is explored via the key themes of social structure and class, and sexism and oppression

Theme	Evidence	Poet’s intention
Social Structure and Class	When speaking to the envoy, the Duke uses the terms “Sir” and “you”	These formal terms of address establish the Duke’s social superiority over the envoy
	The Duke “invites” the envoy to “sit” and “rise” through rhetorical questions	These rhetorical questions are actually commands. The Duke expects the envoy to obey
	The Duke is proud of his “nine-hundred-years-old-name”	He believes that the superior social status and “gift” of his family name should have been respected above everything else by his wife
		Here, Browning is commenting on the arrogance, pride and abuse of power by those who have inherited it
	The Duke chooses “never to stoop”	He refuses to lower himself to what he believes is his wife’s inferior level
	The Duke uses an obvious euphemism for his last Duchess’s murder:  “-I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together.-”	The Duke is clear that people obey him. He gave the command to have his wife murdered
		He believes that he is superior and his family name gives him power enough to be able to do this without consequence
		The repetition of “I” also shows how self-obsessed the Duke is
Sexism and oppression	Browning uses possessive pronouns when the Duke refers to his wife as “my” last Duchess	The Duke views his wife as a possession, rather than as an individual
	He also refers to her as “it” in the line, “The depth and passion of its earnest glance,”	It suggests that he can buy a wife like a piece of art
	In addition, he calls her his “Duchess” rather than his wife	This implies a lack of affection and his wife as an accessory, rather than a partner
		Again, the use of the pronoun “his” demonstrates his feelings of ownership and absolute power over his spouse
		Browning is commenting on the loss of name, rights and power of women upon marriage, and the objectification of women as something to be owned by men
	Browning uses symbolism in the form of the Duchess as a painting, the viewing of which no one but the Duke can control	This suggests he is threatened by other men enjoying looking upon her beauty
		It highlights the absolute control he had over her, not just in life, but also in death
	The Duke moves fluidly from discussing his last wife to his new wife	This indicates that the women are not special to him and are disposable. This is reinforced when the Duke moves seamlessly from talking about her painting to his new statue of Neptune
	The statue of Neptune taming a sea-horse is symbolic	This parallels the Duke who has attempted to use his domestic power to “tame” a wife that was “too easily impressed” by other things
		He transformed her into a painting which he could control
		By showing the statue to the envoy, he is also issuing a warning that his new wife needs to be more easily tamed
	Browning uses the metaphor of the Duchess having a heart “too soon made glad”	By reading between the lines, the Duchess is presented as innocent and delighted by all of nature’s things
		She is embarrassed by compliments, easily pleased and pleasant to everyone
		The Duke misinterprets this as unfaithfulness
		He is driven possibly mad by jealousy and pride
		He values wealth, status and possessions over natural beauty and the beauty of the earth
	Browning employs dramatic irony to imply the Duke’s sinister real character	The reader is able to read between the lines and detect the sinister undertone of the Duke’s comments
	For example, when he says: “Twas, not her husband’s presence only, called that spot Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek:” And: “Her looks went everywhere”	The Duke was paranoid and suspicious of the Duchess and believed (or claimed) that she was unfaithful

Examiners repeatedly state that context should not be written about separately. Therefore, you should not include random biographical information about Robert Browning, or unrelated historical facts about the Italian Renaissance. The best way to understand context is through the ideas and perspectives explored by Browning in My Last Duchess which relate to power or conflict. This section has therefore been divided into two relevant themes that Browning explores:

• Social criticism
• Sexism and oppression

Social criticism

• My Last Duchess is set in Italy during the Italian Renaissance 
• At this time in Italy, art was heavily valued
• The artists and the artwork mentioned in the poem, as well as the Duke himself, are fictional
• However, it is likely that the character of the Duke was based on Alfonso II, the fifth Duke of Ferrara
• His wife died in suspicious circumstances
• Browning was born in London but spent most of his life in Italy
• Changing the setting of the poem allowed him to better disguise his criticism of society

Sexism and oppression

• The poem was written at the start of the Victorian era, during the Industrial Revolution
• This was a period when society was starting to change
• Women were starting to demand equality and it saw the beginning of the suffrage movement
  • In the 1800s, when a woman married, she became the legal property of her husband
  • The only way for a woman to gain status or influence was via her husband
  • This is shown in the poem through the Duke’s “gift of a nine-hundred-years-old-name”
  • It was also believed that women were incapable of rational thought
  • This is reflected in the line “I choose never to stoop”
  • This suggests there is no point in arguing with a woman as she cannot understand
  • The poem can therefore be considered a criticism of Victorian attitudes towards women and their effort to suppress female sexuality
• Browning was a liberal, who married for love
  • His wife was also a well-respected poet in her own right
• Victorian Britain was also very modest and traditional
  • It could be argued that the Duke’s obsession with controlling and ultimately “fixing” his wife’s behaviour reflects Victorian society’s obsession with the reputation of women remaining perfect
• Furthermore, the conflict in the poem displays itself not only in the power the Duke has over the Duchess’s life, but also between how the Duke presents himself to the outside world versus his true character
  • Conflict arose when the Duke realised that he ultimately couldn’t control the Duchess’s behaviour in line with his expectations of a wife
  • He retaliated by killing her, which is an abuse of his power and control
  • This also demonstrates how easily those in power can lose control

The essay you are required to write in your exam is a comparison of the ideas and themes explored in two of your anthology poems. It is therefore essential that you revise the poems together, in pairs, to understand how each poet presents ideas about power, or conflict, in comparison to other poets in the anthology. Given that My Last Duchess explores the ideas of power, control and oppression, the following comparisons are the most appropriate:

• My Last Duchess and Ozymandias
• My Last Duchess and London

For each pair of poems, you will find:

• The comparison in a nutshell
• Similarities between the ideas presented in each poem
• Differences between the ideas presented in each poem
• Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences

My Last Duchess and Ozymandias

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both My Last Duchess and Ozymandias comment on the corruption of power by excessively proud individuals, and power and control are depicted as unstable and easily lost. The subjects of both poems are inanimate objects (a statue and a painting), and both the Duke and the King speak of themselves in a narcissistic way.

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both poems show the effects of power and how it can be abused, as well as how power can be undermined
Evidence and analysis	My Last Duchess	Ozymandias
	Browning shows the Duke’s power being undermined and his loss of control via enjambment, caesura and use of punctuation	In Ozymandias, the poet shows a loss of power over time and competing with nature, as the statue is surrounded by desert which is a symbol of nature and time
	The Duke in My Last Duchess is only concerned with his own power and social status. Although the dramatic monologue and iambic pentameter are meant to replicate a conversation, there is no opportunity for anyone else to speak	Shelley describes Ozymandias’s “sneer of cold command” as if to suggest that he is a cruel and heartless leader, only concerned with his own power and the lasting legacy it will bring
	The Duke is an unreliable narrator, speaking about his Duchess who is not able to speak for herself. We know the story is unreliable as we learn the Duke was jealous and paranoid	The legacy of Ozymandias is told through the voice of another person, mocking the power of the subject
	Browning wrote the poem as a monologue to show the Duke’s self-obsession and that he is not interested in anyone’s views other than his own	Ozymandias might have had “cold command” of his “lands”, just like the Duke “gave commands”
	The temporary nature of power is contrasted in both poems with the permanence of sculpture and art. The Duke exerted complete control and dominance over his Duchess, and yet she lives on as if alive in her painting. The statue of Ozymandias is broken, demonstrating that all power is temporary

Topic sentence	Both poets are concerned with how pride and vanity can corrupt
Evidence and analysis	My Last Duchess	Ozymandias
	In My Last Duchess, the Duke loves his “nine-hundred-years-old-name” and feels entitled to authority, control and respect because of it	Ozymandias is written in the form of a sonnet, as though the king has written a love poem to himself
	It could be argued that both figures of power are ultimately left with nothing
	The Duke is left with a statue of “Neptune” which is made of cold bronze. He prizes possessions and wealth over everything else	In Ozymandias, the “lone and level sands stretch far away” and outlive any reminder of the king’s power
	However, it doesn’t matter how many pieces of art or wealth the Duke possesses, ultimately his “nine-hundred-years-old-name” will be forgotten, and he with it, unless a poet or painter brings him to life	In Ozymandias, the statue in ruins shows that power and tyranny are useless beyond the grave

Differences:

Topic sentence	While both poets suggest that pride and power lead to oppression, the subjects of the oppression are different in each poem.
Evidence and analysis	My Last Duchess	Ozymandias
	In My Last Duchess, the Duchess is shown as the symbol of oppression – the Duke is a jealous and paranoid individual who eventually gives the command to murder her: “then all smiles stopped”	In Ozymandias, the statue is used as a symbol for all institutions or figures of power

My Last Duchess and London

Comparison in a nutshell:

This comparison provides the opportunity to insightfully compare power, control and the corruption of power at a political and individual level. In London, Blake is concerned with how human power can be used to dominate and oppress others, whereas, in My Last Duchess, Browning presents power through the individual character of the Duke.

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both Browning and Blake use the structure of their poems to comment on the idea that human power can be used to dominate, oppress and cause suffering
Evidence and analysis	My Last Duchess	London
	Browning wrote My Last Duchess as a dramatic monologue from the Duke’s perspective, only showing his point of view. This demonstrates his power and dominance	Blake uses regular four-line stanzas to highlight the relentlessness of the dominance the institutions of power have over London and its people
	The poem is written in a single stanza, emphasising the Duke’s power as he is the only person who speaks	The alternative ABAB rhyme scheme and use of iambic tetrameter demonstrate the control exerted over the city
	Browning uses rhyming couplets to also reflect control. However, cracks in the Duke’s control of himself are revealed via the use of enjambment, caesura and punctuation, suggesting the undermining of that power	The occasional break in the structure, as well as the reference to “mind-forg’d manacles” suggest Blake’s possible frustration at the people’s reluctance to rise up and break free from the tyranny

Topic sentence	Both Browning and Blake are also concerned with the inequalities between women and men, and how men can exert power over women
Evidence and analysis	My Last Duchess	London
	In My Last Duchess, the Duke betrays his view of his Duchess as a possession through the use of possessive pronouns and the objectification of his wife	Blake is concerned with the oppression and victimisation of women, referencing the “youthful harlot’s curse” to imply that some women have their futures and choices taken away from them as a circumstance of their birth
	The Duke repeatedly uses the pronoun “my” to imply ownership, and “it” to imply he views her as an object. The adjective “last” suggests she is but one of a number of wives	The oxymoronic “marriage hearse” suggests that women lose any power they may possess ultimately to men in that society
	Both the harlot and the Duchess are victims of the inequality between men and women in terms of circumstance and society
	The fact that both are nameless further dehumanises them

Topic sentence	Both poems show how power that is inherited, but not necessarily deserved, can be abused and used to oppress
Evidence and analysis	My Last Duchess	London
	Browning comments on the Duke mounting his “last Duchess” on the wall as a trophy - a symbol of the power he holds over his wife. He also controls who can see her	Blake criticises the monarchy behind their “palace walls” as responsible for abuses of power
	The Duke’s “nine-hundred-years-old-name” reflects the fact that the Duke’s power and status are inherited, rather than earned	Blake holds the monarchy responsible for the soldier’s blood that runs “down palace walls”, suggesting that they are responsible for inflicting suffering
	However, a name alone does not equal responsible use of power, resulting in oppression and victimisation
	The walls of the buildings in both poems are symbols of their power. Therefore, anything represented on them becomes a symbol of the abuses of their power

Differences:

Topic sentence	While the focus of Browning’s criticism of power centres on one individual, the Duke, and the effect on his “last Duchess”, Blake comments on how the abuse of power by institutions hits the poorest members of society the hardest
Evidence and analysis	My Last Duchess	London
	Through the fact that the Duke oppresses his Duchess, who has inherited his status via marriage, Browning is suggesting that even wealthy women of high social standing are not exempt from being victimised and oppressed	Blake is critical of the monarchy, the government and the church, as they represent to him the abuse of their authority in order to cause misery and suffering to all of the people in London
	Browning focuses his attention on the abuse of power by an individual in order to own, control and dominate	The focus for Blake is on the institutions of the city of London, and the effects of the corruption of power by those institutions on the lowest sections of that society