The third writing assignment was an analysis of a piece of Poetry. I selected the poem My Last Duchess by Robert Browning. Here is my analysis:
Jayson A. Ward
HUM 1020-01Z
Professor Scheafer
June 30, 2013
My Last Duchess: A Poetic Analysis
The poem My Last Duchess by Robert Browning is an interesting piece of literature that focuses on the character’s previous wife and a painting of her that appears on his wall. The painting causes him to reflect on memories of her, since the poem reveals that she is dead. The piece hints at the wife’s compassion and gratitude to others, which seems to be a moral quality that is quite different from the character narrating in the poem. The poem has a tone of pride and self-confidence. The poem also uses the element of rhyming to keep the reader entertained.
The tone of the poem reflects a lot about the personality of the main character. The line “my gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name, with anybody's gift” condescendingly implies that he gave the duchess the gift of her nobility by marrying her and allowing her to take his last name (Browning). This poem seemed to have an undertone of arrogance and extreme pride. Even when discussing the actual portrait in the beginning, it seemed as though the character was proud to have his own unique portrait on his walls. Some of the wording allows for easy assumptions, while other lines are difficult to interpret, such as the line “notice Neptune, though, taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity, which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me” (Browning). The poem seems to imply that he is seeking a new wife that he wishes to be a rare and unique individual. The addition of the element of rhythm helps keep the reader intrigued and entertained throughout the poem.
The poem My Last Duchess by Robert Browning is an interesting piece of literary art. The poem uses interesting text to give an excellent portrayal of the main character and his perception of his deceased wife. The addition of the element of rhythm makes the poem enjoyable to read and interpret.
Word Count: 322
Work Cited:
Browning, Robert. “My Last Duchess.” 30 June. 2013 .