1. What do we know about this poem? What does the title tell us?
Dubiety
Asolando (1889) – last collection Browning wrote & published after his death
Dubiety: A feeling of doubt that often results in wavering.
What do we know about this poem?
What does the title tell us?

2. Context Dubiety: A feeling of doubt that often results in wavering.
The poem introduces us to an uncertain and anxious speaker who wants to be protected from the bright sun and the tumult of the city. As he relaxes, a woman he loved places her hand upon his brow. (Cf. Browning’s own need for comfort after the death of Elizabeth.)
This poem was only published after Browning’s death.

3. Language and Imagery

4. To protect or shelter; to guard from danger
To settle (someone) in a comfortable, safe or secret place
I will be happy if but for once: Only help me, Autumn weather, Me and my cares to screen, ensconce In luxury's sofa-lap of leather!
Sleep? Nay, comfort--with just a cloud 5 Suffusing day too clear and bright: Eve's essence, the single drop allowed To sully, like milk, Noon's water-white.
Let gauziness shade, not shroud,--adjust, Dim and not deaden,--somehow sheathe 10 Aught sharp in the rough world's busy thrust, If it reach me through dreaming's vapour-wreath.
Gradually spread through or over
To tarnish
1a. The speaker has not been happy for a long time. “if but for once”. Following lines ask for “help” from nature; wants to be protected and settled somewhere in secret, in ‘luxury’ for comfort (not for sleep)
1b. ‘autumn’ suggests he is at the end of his life
2a. At the end of life but not ready to leave it yet, therefore wants comfort and not sleep (signifying death)
2b. the ‘cloud’ (cf. Apparent Failure) of death suffuses day – it is too “clear and bright”; he is almost ready to leave. He welcomes “Eve’s essence” tainting noon; making it gloomier.
3a. “gauziness shade” (but not shroud); “adjust, dim” (not deaden) ; “sheathe anything sharp” – he wants the world to be dimmed and softened; he is protected by “dreaming’s vapour-wreath” but the world is still “rough” and “busy” and “thrusts” at him. He needs help to be comforted.
3b. Short staccato vowel sounds = roughness of the world cf. line 12’s longer vowel sounds and ‘th’ sound = ethereal tone.
Resembling gauze in thinness or transparency
Anything

5. Life be like this, forever!
Be life so, all things ever the same! For, what has disarmed the world? Outside, Quiet and peace: inside, nor blame Nor want, nor wish whate'er betide.
What is it like that has happened before? A dream? No dream, more real by much. A vision? But fanciful days of yore Brought many: mere musing seems not such. 20
Perhaps but a memory, after all! --Of what came once when a woman leant To feel for my brow where her kiss might fall. Truth ever, truth only the excellent!
To happen to; take place
Like a memory
Times long past
4. Asking nature/himself? (not clear who the listener is here). Outside (the “rough” world) is now quiet and peace; inside he has no emotion – no blame, desire or wish for anything to happen. All is still. He wonders how this has happened.
5. confused. Uneasy. Seems like a memory but might be a dream – but is too real. Is it a vision? He remembers visions from times past and those “mere musings” were not like this.
6a. Of the feeling of comfort gained when a woman felt for his brow where she might kiss him.
6b. truth = love, so wants love forever. “the excellent” = Elizabeth? Is he relieved at remembering ‘the truth’ and the woman? Is ‘truth’ (the truth of her death and his isolation) the reason he wants the world to dim?
6c. Dubiety = uncertainty. What is he uncertain of? Life? Memory? Whether he is ready to move on from this life yet? What is truth? Whether his memory is real (truth) or a vision or a dream? Sense of his life ending and the uncertainty this brings (cf. bishop)

6. Form Dramatic monologue
Who is the silent listener? Nature? Himself? Us? Is this a soliloquy?
As the poem progresses, we go deeper into the speaker’s own mind
Significance of title on our reading of the poem

7. Structure Relatively simple structure
6 stanzas of 4 lines each (tetrameter)
Rhyme scheme: abab
Does this simplicity echo his uncomplicated requests or does it run in contrast to his uncertainty?