My Last Duchess

• The metaphor of Neptune suggests he sees himself as god-like - men are gods that must tame their wives
• Shows that the Duke is extremely materialistic, as he condemns her finding nature beautiful but places a lot of value, in a statue "thought a rarity"
• Clearly, he believes his status and wealth should be seen as more valuable than anything available to the common man
• Persona poem


  The speaker has taken on the persona of the Duke of Ferra
• First person, present tense narrative

  Gives the speaker a great deal of power over the text as he can control what he tells the reader
• Dramatic Monologue


  The domineering presence of the Duke, who dominates a conversation and won't let anyone else talk, because he tends to take control of everything
• There is no female side to the story, we never get to know exactly what happened to his ex wife
• Iambic Pentameter


  Classic for English poetry, especially love poetry
• The meter reflects how the Duke holds traditional and conservative views of women, especially seeing as the poem is set in the past
• The meter has a very tight control of rhythm and rhyme, which demonstrates the Duke's sense of pride and superiority
• Single Verse / No Stanzas

  Makes it feel overwhelming and tiring, mirroring the Duke's power and control in his relationships
• Enjambment


  Allows the poem to flow and seem more like a natural conversation
• Caesura


  Shows his speech as poorly planned or formed as he keeps interrupting himself
• The opening immediately sets up a sinister tone for the piece, as the phrase "as if she were alive" shows that the Duchess has died
• Possessive pronouns


  The speaker makes use of possessive pronouns such as "my" to show that he has ownership of the Duchess, and shows that she is a possession not an individual
• The speaker refers to her as "my duchess", not "my wife", which shows a lack of affection or emotion
• Simplistic Language


  Makes it seem like a normal conversation, not decorated or rich in imagery
• By portraying the character as a painting Browning is displaying the Duchess' complete objectification
• The statue of Neptune


  Creates parallels to the Duke who has attempted to use his domestic power to "tame" a wife that was "too easily impressed"
• The statue is the last thing he shows the envoy, and this could be seen as a warning that he expects his next wife to be tamed, seeing as he was successful in taming his last Duchess
• Both the poets - Keats and Browning - choose to display a negative view of love with a focus on a one sided relationship, with the imbalanced power dynamic appearing to cause serious issues in the poem's respective relationships
• Both poems concern potentially ingenuine emotions and fickle love, rather than a true, positive love
• In Browning's poem, the Duchess is powerless - doesn't have a name and has imagery associated with her which makes her seem innocent. In Keats' poem, the Knight is similarly depicted as powerless - for example, the adjective "alone" is repeated
• Whereas the depiction of the Duchess and the Duke in 'Last Duchess' is a typical portrayal of patriarchal power, the depiction of the Knight in Keats' work is abnormal because the female creature is shown to be overpowering the Knight