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My Last Duchess

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By: (1812-1889)

In "My Last Duchess," Robert Browning tells the tale of a jealous and controlling Duke who shows off a portrait of his late wife to a visitor. Through the Duke's obsessive narration, Browning skillfully reveals the Duke's true character and motives, gradually building tension and unease. The poem's use of dramatic monologue allows readers to glimpse the Duke's inner thoughts and emotions, showcasing his vanity, possessiveness, and disregard for his wife's autonomy.

Browning's use of language is both elegant and chilling, as the Duke's words betray his disturbing nature. The slow reveal of the Duchess's fate and the Duke's callousness towards her creates a sense of dread and foreboding throughout the poem. The ambiguity surrounding the Duchess's true nature and the Duke's role in her demise leaves readers questioning the Duke's reliability as a narrator and pondering the complexities of power, love, and control.

Overall, "My Last Duchess" is a haunting and thought-provoking poem that explores themes of jealousy, power dynamics, and gender roles. Browning's masterful storytelling and vivid imagery make this a compelling and memorable read that lingers in the mind long after the final lines.

Book Description:
NOTES: "My Last Duchess" puts in the mouth of a Duke of Ferrara, a typical husband and art patron of the Renaissance, a description of his last wife, whose happy nature and universal kindliness were a perpetual affront to his exacting self-predominance, and whose suppression, by his command, has made the vacancy he is now, in his interview with the envoy for a new match, taking precaution to fill more acceptably.


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