Dramatic monologue

“My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning is a poem written in the form of a dramatic monologue. In it, the speaker describes the portrait of his late wife to the servant of a prospective bride’s father. Throughout the description, the speaker’s sociopathy is made increasingly clear, with the heavily implication that he was the actual cause of the wife’s demise. Browning reveals the prideful, control-obsessed, and sociopathic character of the speaker through self-boasting, caesuras in the monologue, and the varying levels of politeness he exhibits throughout the poem. The speaker’s pride is revealed most clearly through his not-so-subtle comments on his own worth. The obvious of which is shown through “as if she ranked/ My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old…

When we think of famous writers that emerged from Britain, most people first think of Shakespeare and perhaps Milton as well. A significant writer that is sometimes not always remembered in the spotlight is Robert Browning. Browning in irrefutably the best there ever was at writing and manipulating dramatic monologues. In fact, dramatic monologues can’t even really be brought up or studied without the mention of Browning. Two of Browning's most famous dramatic monologues are My Last Duchess and…

the Victorian era. He produced many popular and extraordinary pieces of work throughout his life. One form of literature he is known for today is his dramatic monologues. Two of Browning's famous dramatic monologues include Porphyria’s Lover and My Last Duchess. Browning was not only able to catch the reader's interest with his work, but was able to invoke thought. Browning used the dramatic monologues strategically to encourage thought by making the reader identify the speaker and the listener…

We all have an inner monologue in which we contemplate our world and our lives. These never-ending internal conversations are what guide our thoughts and actions and even our perception of the people around us. Robert Browning is famous for his poetic style of dramatic monologue, which he often uses to create the illusion of continuous thought. Utilizing a variety of techniques, he is able to bring about the effect of spontaneity, as exemplified in his poem “My Last Duchess.” Within this…

The poet’s choice to utilize couplets throughout his dramatic monologue is clearly ironic as the Duke represents a strong narcissism, as well as a blatant embodiment of the objectification of women that Browning suggests makes him unpaired, and unmatchable. Browning’s choice to use these contrasting couplets, then, calls into question the logic of the speaker himself. If there is irony in the physical nature of the poem, does Browning suggest there is an irony that exists in the content of the…

Robert Browning was born May 7, 1812 in Camberwell, London. His father was a senior clerk in the Bank of England. However, his mother was a talented pianist. Browning’s love for writing dramatic monologues came from his father who also had a love for art and literature. Browning attended two schools, Rev. Thomas Ready and the University of London. However, Browning only lasted half a year in the college (Welcome… np). On September 12, 1846, Robert Browning married Elizabeth Barrett, who was…

“My Last Duchess,” Browning’s dramatic monologue centers thematically on a Renaissance Duke’s obsession with overpowering his Duchess. His desire to dominate reached ta an extent where he reduced her to nothingness, captured in a painting. The poem, though about a Renaissance man, reflects completely a Victorian masculine attitude toward women. The main character of the poem that indulges into the monologue is a misogynist man who is unable to bear with any act of agency performed by women. In…

similarities betwixt the two poems. Firstly, in both poems, the man kills the woman, obviously with different motivations, but the outcome was similar. Secondly, he clarifies that both poems surround the fact that the women are victims of the man’s unhappiness. Lastly, Browning exemplifies how within both dramatic monologues, the man is jealous about how his companion behaves. Also, there are two reasons why the two poems are different. First, the reader understands who the woman is within the…

Robert Browning who although born in England in 1812, has had his name and poetry revered throughout the centuries. Renowned for his unprecedented, grotesque comments on the more sinister side of human nature with his added mastery of the dramatic monologue used to give an in-depth look into the mind of the insane; has created a distinct tone characteristically his. This unique style paved way for the iconic poems, ‘Porphyria’s lover’ and ‘My last Duchess’ in which Browning defied traditional…

Regarded as a brilliant sinister dramatic monologue, 'Porphyria's Lover' by Robert Browning, challenges the perception of it's readers, in this case, creating a persona that is driven mad by his growing obsession throughout the poem. The poem is about a character who has a a difficult relationship with the woman he loves because she is unable to love him fully. It carefully illustrates the struggle for control between the two lovers drawing the reader into their twisted relationship with…