1. My Last Duchess Robert Browning 1845

2. Ferrara That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall, Looking as if she were alive. I call That piece a wonder, now: Immediate sense of him owning his previous wife. Implies he was less satisfied when she was alive. She has become merely a ‘piece’ of art. The Duke of Ferrara was a real historical person

3. The name of the aritist. Question to the envoy who has been sent by a count who wishes the Duke to marry his daughter. Verb implies she is alive. Fra Pandolf’s hands Worked busily a day, and there she stands. Will’t please you sit and look at her? I said ‘Fra Pandolf’ by design,

4. for never read Strangers like you that pictured her countenance, The depth and passion of its earnest glance, Powerful and emotive language. Highlights how strongly he believes no one but a husband should see such feeling in her eyes.

5. 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; Sinister aside in brackets. She doesn’t look at anyone else with those passionate eyes because he doesn’t allow anyone else to look at the picture. Durst = dare to.

6. so, not the first Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, ‘twas not Her husband’s presence only, called that spot Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek: It was not just the Duke who looked at her and made her blush. ‘Spot of joy’ = blushing.

7. 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:’ Speech marks indicate Duke is imagining the compliments the artist paid the Duchess. Mantle = shawl.

8. such stuff Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough For calling up that spot of joy. She had A heart – how shall I say? – too soon made glad, Too easily impressed; Punctuation indicates Duke is searching for polite way of expressing his discontent at her behaviour. Repetition highlights how he feels she was too easily pleased.

9. 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, She took pleasure in everything she saw. His attention to her. Sunset, image ironically made more beautiful by use of alliteration. Exclamation mark shows his anger that she took as much pleasure in him as everything else.

10. The bough of cherries some officious fool Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule She rode around the terrace – all and each Would draw from her alike the approving speech, Or blush, at least. Bough = bunch Officious = giving service that isn’t wanted, doing more than is required. Mule = horse. She blushes and thanks everyone and everything.

11. 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? Stoop = to bend down; he feels he would have to lower himself to tolerate her overly friendly actions. Dashes indicate again his displeasure and incredulity at her behaviour. He comes from an ancient and noble family. She should be honoured to be married to him.

12. Even had you skill In speech – (which I have not) – to make your will Quite clear to such a one, and say, ‘Just this ‘Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss, ‘Or there exceed the mark’ Yet narrative has so far demonstrated he IS a skilled speaker. Strong emotional reaction. Speech marks indicate the direct instructions he might have tried to give her.

13. – and if she let Herself be lessoned so, not plainly set Her wits to yours, forsooth and made excuse, E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose Never to stoop. If she was prepared to be taught the correct way for a Duchess to behave. Repetition of same word from line 34 reinforces how he feels it would be beneath him to try and correct her.

14. 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. Rhetorical question – the envoy is not expected to respond or try to justify the Duchess’ actions. Semi colons separate short, powerful clauses. Alliteration highlights calm and chilling way he discusses her death.

15. There she stands As if alive. Will’t please you rise? We’ll meet The company below, then. Reinforces that she once was alive, and is now dead solely at his instruction. As in line 5, the polite invitation is actually a command.

16. 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. Extreme generosity. Dowry = the amount paid by the bride’s family to the groom. He won’t pretend he isn’t persuaded by the money. Though he maintains he is far more persuaded by the beauty of the girl herself. He made his last wife into an ‘object’.

17. 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. Powerful god of the sea. Verb implies dominance and control. Another ‘object’ that he had made, like his last wife.