My Last Duchess Our presentation 2

An Introduction
"My Last Duchess" was
written by Robert Browning
and published in 1842 in a
book of poems titled Dramatic
Lyrics during the victoria Age.
"My Last Duchess" was taken
from the history of a
Renaissance duke, Alfonso II of
Ferrara )the speaker of the
poem( , whose young wife
Lucrezia )the duchess( died in
suspicious circumstances in
1561.

The summary:
The Duke, the only speaker, tells his
addressee about the portrait of his
last Duchess. Then, he expresses his
anger because his wife treated him
equally as she treated the others.
Through his speech, the duck reveals
that he ordered to kill her. At the
end, we know that the addressee is
the servant of his new bride’s father,
the Count. the tone of the duke is
ironical.

The style
 Although the poem belongs to the Belles-Lettres style (The belles-
lettres style, or the language of literature, refers to the language
of poetry, fiction and drama.), the style of speaking is colloquial.
The poet uses enjambment (a literary device in which the sense of
one line of verse is carried over to the next line without a
pause.) and run-on lines, as in “Will’t please you sit and look at
her? I said / ‘Fra Pandolf’ by design, for never read.”
 The duke is the only person speaking through the whole
poem which means that poem is a dramatic monologue.
Because it’s a dramatic monologue, this poem is
structured as a long speech, which is evident in its use of
the graphological devices employed by the author, such
as colons (:), dashes (-), commas (,) and full stops (.)
which are used to create the feeling of regular speech.

Meter:
Meter is any regular pattern of rhythm based on stressed and
unstressed syllables. "My Last Duchess" is in iambic pentameter,
which has ten syllables, or five feet, per line. The ten syllables consist
of five pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables. Lines 1 and 2 of the
poem demonstrate the iambic-pentameter pattern.
.......1.................2..................3.................4...............5
That's MY..|..last DUCH..|..ess PAINT..|..ed ON..|..the WALL,
.......1.............2...............3.................4...............5
Look ING..|..as IF..|..she WERE..|..a LIVE..|..I CALL

Type of stanza
 The stanza consisting of two lines is called couplet. In My Last
Duchess, Robert Browning uses full rhyming couplets with
continuous enjambment
Rhyme:
 Rhyme is created by the repetition of the same sound in the last
stressed syllable of two (or more lines) in stanza .
Rhyming used in the poem:
Line 1 rhymes with line 2, line 3 with 4, line 5 with 6, and so on. Pairs
of rhyming lines are called couplets. When the lines are written in
iambic pentameter, as are the lines of "My Last Duchess," the rhyming
pairs are called heroic couplets.
RHYME SCHEME
Rhyme scheme is any pattern of rhymes in poetry. Each new sound is
assigned the next letter in the alphabet. The rhyme scheme in the
poem is AA, BB, CC, DD, etc.

Cohesion:
Most (or, maybe all) of the sentences in the poem are very long
sentences. These sentences are full of connectors; some of these
(which are very repeated) are: and (lines 4, 20, 29, 37, etc); but (lines
9, 10, 31, 44); or (lines 17, 31, 39). There are some more as: if (l.39)
or though (l.54), which appear only once.
 This poem is full of verbs in the past simple tense, as for
example: were (l.2), came (l.12), thanked (l.31), or stopped (l.46);
that is because the speaker is telling us the past, when his wife was
still alive.
But, there are some more temporal structures, such as:
• Present simple: stands (l.4), disgusts (l.38), repeat (l.48), etc;
• Present perfect: have drawn (l.10);
• Future simple: will...sit (l.5), will...rise (l.47), we’ll...meet (l.47),
etc.

 There are lots of active sentences all around the
text, but there are some that are constructed in
a passive way. Some of them are: she let herself
be lessoned (l.39-40), will be disallowed (l.51).
 The most common use of the expressions is the
informative or expressive sentence, but here
there are some questions (rhetorical
questions), as for example: Will't please you sit
and look at her? (l.5), how shall I
say? (l.22), Will't please you rise? (l.47); and
some exclamations, such as: Sir, 'twas all
one! (l.25), or: (l.54-56)
...Notice Neptune, though,
Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,
Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!

My Last Duchess by Robert
Browning
That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall, (1)
Looking as if she were alive. I call (2)
That piece a wonder, now; Fra Pandolf’s hands (3)
Worked busily a day, and there she stands. (4)

 In the first four lines, we can find :
1.In line1 “Duchess “ is capitalized. Titles of royalty are
capitalized when used as a formal title.
2. Irony(is based on the opposition of what is said to
what is meant.)
a) The irony is found in the title and in line 1 because at
the end of the poem the Duke reveals he will have a new
bride and even implies that she may be the next to go.
b) The irony that Browning is looking for is the irony in
the painting itself. The duke keeps it hidden, it is a
painting of the Duchess smiling for the painter and not
for him . But the truth is that the painting of the duchess
will live on long after her death. Long after the duke has
been forgotten as well. In the end, he can not control
time or his mortality . Men will continue to look at and
admire the duchess, who will in turn, continue to smile
down to them forever.

3.Metaphor ( denotes transference of
meaning based on resemblance or on a
covert comparison) in Line 1 “My Last
duchess painted on the wall “. It refers to the
picture painting of the duchess not to her. As
such it contains an ironic dimension against
her, since no one can possibly be painted on
the wall. There is also a Symbolism in "my
last Duchess painted" (The Duke objectifies
women as property or possessions)
4.Simile (a comparison between two things
which are essentially dissimilar. The
comparison is directly stated through words
such as like, as, than or resembles.)in line 2
“Looking as if she were alive. “

5.There is an alliteration (a device based on repetition of
the same or similar sounds at close distance, which makes
speech more expressive) in line 2 “ Looking as if she were
alive. I call “
6.Antonomasia (This device consists in the use of a proper
name instead of a common name or vice versa.) in line 3 by
using the name of the painter “Fra Pandolf “and in line 1 by
using “ My Duchess “ in stead of my wife
7.SYNEDOCHE (the use of a part for the whole idea ) in line
3 “Fra Pandolf’s hands “Hands Refer to Fra Pandolf himself.
8.By reducing the painter to the part of his body that does
the work, he dehumanizes Frà Pandolf, turning him into a
tool instead of a person. This also can be called
understatement . Also “ hands “ can be body imagery .

9.Personification (In poetry is often
represented grammatically by the choice of
masculine or feminine pronouns for the names
of animals, inanimate objects or forces of
nature) in line 4 “ She stands .” Rather than
referring to the painting as "it," the Duke
speaks as if the painting is the actual Duchess.
10.Partial Inversion (The adverbial modifier is
intentially placed at the beginning of the
sentence) in line 4 “/there/ she stands”.
It is a partial inversion because it starts with
the adverb There because the Duke wants to
take the attention of his addressee to the
Duchess’ portrait. Those lines signify that the
Duke seems more interested in showing off the
fame of the artist than regretting for the death
of his wife.

“ Will’t please you sit and look at her? I said (5)
“Fra Pandolf” by design, for never read (6)
Strangers like you that pictured countenance, (7)
The depth and passion of its earnest glance, (8)
But to myself they turned (since none puts by (9)
The curtain I have drawn for you, but I) (10)
And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst,(11)
How such a glance came there; so, not the first (12)
Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, ’twas not “(13)

 In those lines Browning uses enjambment and
run-on lines to show that the duke is incapable of
control, as in “Will’t please you sit and look at her?
I said / ‘Fra Pandolf’ by design, for never
read.” Due to repeated enjambments, the rhyming
couplets are open, and not closed. These
syntactical pauses create tension in the rhythm.
1.In line 5 “Will’t “ is an archaic abbreviation .
.2. In line 6 ““Fra Pandolf” by design, for never read “
There is a zeugma( a stylistic device that plays upon
two different meanings of the word — the direct and
the figurative meanings, thus creating a pun ). The
Duke uses a play on words when discussing the artist,
since "design" is an artistic term, but he means "on
purpose”.. also “ for never read “ is a metaphor for
faces that can be read.

3.Denotation of the word “countenance “. In line 7
“Strangers like you that pictured countenance, “, the
word “ countenance denotes (facial expression / a
person’s face .)
4. In Line 8: “ The depth and passion of its earnest
glance “, there is a personification (( glance as
person has passion ) and there is an assonance (is a
close repetition of similar vowel sounds, usually in
stressed syllables.) “ The depth and passion of its
earnest glance,” [assonance: repetition of the same
vowel sounds]. More over, there is a consonance
(the close repetition of identical consonant sounds
before and after different vowels) “The depth and
passion of its earnest glance,”.
5.In line 9 “But to myself they turned”, there is
Partial Inversion (The adverbial modifier is placed at
the beginning of the sentence.)

6.In line 10 “The curtain I have drawn for you, but I”, there is a
metaphor referring to letting out of secrets
7.In line 9-10 “But to myself they turned (since none puts by
The curtain I have drawn for you, but I) “
**There is parenthetic Segments(They supply some additional
information)
**There is also an allusion (indirect reference to a literary fact
expressed in the text). It is an allusion to the great power he
wields comes in a parenthetical aside, in which he lets slip,
intentionally or unintentionally, that he alone controls access to
his late wife’s portrait. Even her image is under his jealous guard.
The words "control freak" come to mind.

.8. In line 11 “And seemed as they would ask
me, if they durst”, there is more assonance and
The word “ durst “ is a denotation (the explicit
or direct meaning or set of meanings of a word
or expression) . durst denotes (archaic or
regional past of dare ) .
9.In line 12-13 “so, not the first
Are you to turn and ask thus.”
There is a full inversion (The predicate precedes
the subject(the predicate is before the link verb
and both are placed before the subject) .
10.There is a repetition of the pronoun “ I ” that
signifies that the duke is is self-obsessed.

Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, ’twas not ( 13 )
Her husband’s presence only, called that spot (14)
Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek; perhaps (15)
Fra Pandolf chanced to say, “Her mantle laps (16)
Over my lady’s wrist too much,” or “Paint (17)
Must never hope to reproduce the faint (18)
Half-flush that dies along her throat.” (19)

1.In line 13 “’twas” is an archaic abbreviation word.
2.In line 14 “That spot of joy” is a metonymy of
happiness .
 It can be considered a Periphrasis (a device by
which a longer phrase is used instead of a
shorter and plainer one ) “called that spot Of joy
“ ( called that dimple or smile ) .
 It can be considered as a juxtaposition (the
overlapping or mixing of opposite or different
situations) as the phrase "spot of joy" itself is a
startling juxtaposition of images that makes the
reader think differently about the kind of blush
that crosses the face of the Duchess. The fact
that her blushing is referred to as a "spot" makes
it sound blameworthy.
 In this expression “ spot of joy”, there is
understatement of the duchess happiness.

3.In “Line 18:“Paint Must never hope to reproduce
the faint” , there is a personification of paint .
Paint was depicted as a person.
4.In line 19 “The faint half-flush that dies along her
throat “ , there is a metaphor as the color does not
literally “die,” but the use of the word “dies” does
foreshadow her death. It is a complex metaphor
describing the colors of her neck and its gradual
change along her throat. Obviously the description
asks the reader to imagine some of her beauty, but
in order to mock it from the narrator’s point of
view, and perhaps to pity it from the reader’s.
** There is a EUPHONY –( agreeable sounds that
are easy to articulate) in"faint Half flush"

Must never hope to reproduce the faint
Half-flush that dies along her throat"
such stuff
0Was courtesy, she thought, and
cause enough
For calling up that spot of joy
•Type of stanza
The most common stanza one consisting
of four lines is called a quatrain ,the more
seldom one consisting of two is called
couplet .

1-This quatrain gives us at least three poetic devices:
metaphors alliteration and euphony
•1-"spot of joy" is a metaphor for flirtatious behavior
•2-"Half-flush that dies along her throat:'' such stuff [metaphor the
use of the word “dies” is foreshadow her death
 Metaphors :denotes a transference of meaning based on
resemblance in other words
2-the second device is alliteration
ex :
Such ,staff
Coutesy,calling ..
Alliteration :is a device based on repetition of the same similar
sound at close distance

3-the third device is euphony which is mean: a harmony of form and
contents, an arrangement of sound combinations, producing a
pleasant effect ,such as faint
Half-flush
4-The fourth device is Periphrasis
This is a device by which a longer phrase is used instead of a shorter
and plainer one; it is a case of circumlocution (a roundabout way of
description), which is used in literary descriptions for greater
expressiveness.
Ex: “spot of joy”, (INSTEAD OF DIMPLE)

She had
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
In these line we can find another device ,which is
a Repetition:
Anaphora
Example:
/She/ had
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

5-The fifth device is euphemism which is means: this term denotes
the use of different ,more gentle or favourable name for an object
or phenomenon to avoid undesirable or unpleasant
the Duke comes up with a euphemism – "too soon made glad,"
which is a roundabout way of saying "easily pleased" – or maybe
just "easy
6-The sixth device is the use of the archaic words and ( expression
such as whate'er is archaic form
 Archaic word is denote a set of words traditionally used in
poetry

 Paranthetic Segments:
Examples:
-She had A heart/—how shall I say?—/too soon made
glad,
22A heart . . . how shall I say? The fourth device is
Rhetorical question .
Which is means contains not question but a coverts
statement

•25Sir, 'twas all one! My favour at her
breast
26The dropping of the daylight in the
West,
27The bough of cherries some officious
fool
28Broke in the orchard for her, the
white mule
29She rode with round the terrace

6-Alliteration:
Examples:
-The /d/ropping of the /d/aylight in the West
-The bough of cherries some o/ff/icious /f/ool
-She /r/ode with /r/ound the te/rr/ace—all
and each
Would draw from her alike the a/pp/roving
s/p/eech
 The dropping of the daylight in the
West, [metaphor for the sun rise and ;
more alliteration
 the archaic words such as
(twas,forsoth,bough

The seventh device is cacophony is a disharmony of form and
contents, an arrangement of sounds, producing an unpleasant
effect
The bough of cherries some officious fool
•Stylistic connotation in the vocabulary
[Riding the mule gives you a clue as to her social status

• all and each
30 Would draw from her alike
the approving speech,
31 Or blush, at least
Assonance the repetition of similar
vowels :
(Least,speech,each)

•She thanked men,--good; but thanked
32 Somehow . . . I know not how . . . as if she
ranked
33 My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name
34 With anybody's gift. Who'd stoop to blame
35 This sort of trifling? Even had you skill
36 In speech--(which I have not)--to make your
will
37 Quite clear to such an one, and say, "Just
this
38 Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss

Who'd stoop to blame
This sort of trifling? [rhetorical question
more alliteration (say just this) and Good!
consider to be Interjection

irony:
Example:
She thanked men, /-good!/
 Paranthetic Segments:
Examples:
-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

Epithet
This is a word or phrase containing an expressive
characteristic of the object, based on some
metaphor and thus creating an image . An epithet
may be used in the sentence as an attribute or as
an adverbial modifier .It may also be expressed by
a syntactic construction (a syntactic epithet). Fixed
epithets are often found in folklore.
Ex : “ My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name “
In this metaphor the duke signifies the
importance of his gift which is equal to the
history of his family

Allusion
**The allusion to the history of the
Duke’s family. The Duke’s emphasis on
his family history and prestige – his
"nine-hundred-years-old name" – is
underscored by his choice of the word
"ranked" to describe the way people
should react to gifts.

Rhyming are used in the poem
Is created by the repetition of the same sound,in the last stressed
syllable of two (or more lines), in this poem line 1 rhymes with 2 ,line
3 rhymes with line 4 so on.
The rhyme scheme
of this poem is organized into couplets, which is AABBCC
The tone of this poem is that (ignorant,vulgar,selfish and arrogant)
This poem is loaded with rhyme because of the rhyming couplets.
However, it is also loaded with enjambment which can often mask the
rhymes. Enjambment is when a line of poetry ends in the middle of a
thought without any punctuation

Lines 39:43
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.

--and if she let/ Herself be lessoned so, nor
plainly set/ Her wits to yours, forsooth, and
made excuse,--
The clause is a Parenthetic Segment (i.e.;
Parenthesis is a variant of a detached construction. It
is an explanatory clause which interrupts a syntactic
construction without otherwise affecting it, often
indicated in writing by commas, brackets or dashes.) It
gives us extra information that it is impossible for the
Duke to instruct his last wife.

--and if she let/ Herself be lessoned so, nor
plainly set/ Her wits to yours, forsooth, and
made excuse,--
The clause is a Parenthetic Segment (i.e.; Parenthesis
is a variant of a detached construction. It is an
explanatory clause which interrupts a syntactic
construction without otherwise affecting it, often
indicated in writing by commas, brackets or dashes.) It
gives us extra information that it is impossible for the
Duke to instruct his last wife.

We have a Stylistic partial inversion (i.e.; Inversion is an
unusual order of words chosen for emphasis greater
expressiveness.) in nor plainly set/ Her wits to
yours… because the adverbial modifier is intentionally
placed at the beginning of the sentence.
In addition, there is assonance (i.e.; repetition of same
or similar vowels only) in Her wits to yours, forsooth,
and made excuse, and an Internal rhyme in the same
line.
As the poem was written in the 19th century, during the
Victorian age, the clause includes archaic word
forsooth which means in truth, in fact or indeed.

E'en then would be some stooping; and I choose/
Never to stoop.
 The Duke compares instructing the Duchess to stooping
(i.e.; a physical posture that puts him in a lower position.)
This comparison is called a metaphor as it denotes
transference of meaning based on resemblance between
two things which are essentially dissimilar.
 While the similarity between the vowels is called
assonance as in E'en then, and in choose and stoop, the
similarity between the consonants at close distance is
called alliteration as in some stooping.
 Lexically, E’en then is an archaic form of Even then.

Lines 43:46
Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt,
Whene'er I passed her; but who passed without
Much the same smile? This grew; I gave
commands;
Then all smiles stopped together.

The previous lines can be considered as climax (gradation) as every
successive unit is logically more important or emotionally stronger or
more explicit than the preceding one.
The first phrase, she smiled, no doubt, Whene'er I passed her, is an
ordinary statement informing us of the frequency of the Duchess to
smile especially by the use of a parenthetic segment which is, no doubt,.
Then, the Duke asks an ironical question (who passed without Much the
same smile?) in which he does not wait a reply. It is a rhetorical question
by which the duke wants to criticize how he was treated by the Duchess
because she made him equal to strangers as she smiled to everyone.
After that, the Duke admits killing the Duchess. He does not explains
that directly but he avoids the undesirable or unpleasant truth by using
euphemism by saying I gave commands Then all smiles stopped
together. In this case, smiles may be considered as metonymy because
not only her smiles stopped but her life in general.

Phonetically, we have much alliteration:
1.The repetition of /s/ in
who passed without/ Much the same smile?
smiles stopped
2. The repetition of /ð/ in
This grew; I gave commands;/ Then all smiles
stopped together.
3. The repetition of /t/ in
stopped together
Lexically, Whene'er is an archaic abbreviation of
Whenever .

Lines 46:48
There she stands
As if alive. Will 't
please you rise?
We'll meet
The company
below, then.

These lines start with a Stylistic partial inversion
because it starts with the adverb There because the
Duke wants to take the attention of his addressee to
the Duchess’ portrait.
In the same lines, the Duke compares the Duchess’
portrait to a living creature in she stands As if alive by
using simile. Simile is a comparison creating a vivid
image due to the fact that the object with which we
compare is well-known by using connective words such
as like, as, such as, as if, and seem.
Will 't is an archaic abbreviation, and he repetition of
the vowel/i:/ in We'll meet is assonance.

Lines 48:54
I repeat,
The Count your Master's known
munificence
Is ample warrant that no just pretence
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!

Here, the egoism and self-importance of the
Duke is clear because of two reasons. The
first reason is the Duke’s repetition of the
pronoun I not only in the preceding
sentences but also in the sentences before
such as I passed her, I gave commands, I
repeat, and as I avowed (as I avowed is a
parenthetic segment). Second, he
compares his future wife as an object which
can be possessed which is called metaphor.
Moreover, Nay is an archaic word means
No.

Lines 54:56 (to the end)
Notice Neptune,
though,
Taming a sea-horse,
thought a rarity,
Which Claus of
Innsbruck cast in
bronze for me

The first two lines refer to an indirect
reference to a historical and mythological
fact. Neptune/ Taming a sea-horse is an
allusion to God of the sea in Roman religion
(Poseidon).
In addition, we have a complicated metaphor
in which the Duke compares himself as
Neptune, his wife as a sea-horse, and his
behaviour towards his wife as the way
Neptune taming the sea-horse, which also
signify the Duke’s self-importance and
egoism.

In the phonetic level:
Alliteration:
Notice Neptune
Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me
Cacophony:
Cacophony is an arrangement of sounds, producing an
unpleasant effect.
Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me
In the lexical level:
Cast is an archaic word means made.

In conclusion, the poem includes metaphor,
simile, personification…but the number of
the imagery is limited. There is of imagery
about possessing objects, as well as an
abundance of personal pronouns. This
suggests the Duke’s selfish and self-important
character...

Nada Abdulsalam Mai Zainhoum
Basma Diab

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