AQA ‘POWER AND CONFLICT’ POETRY

‘MY LAST DUCHESS’ BY ROBERT BROWNING

 YOUR STARTER
What can we infer about this
woman based on the her
painting? Who was she? What
kind of life has she led?

Remember, an INFERENCE is a
prediction based on the
EVIDENCE you have in front of
you. Do not speculate. You
must be able to back up your
ideas.
TODAY’S KEY QUESTIONS:
1. How does the poem, ‘My Last Duchess’, link to the themes of POWER and CONFLICT?
2. How does structure and form help shape the meaning of a poem?
3. What should I be looking for when analysing a poem?
 ORACY TASK

Consider the title of the poem.

MY LAST DUCHESS
1) What does the adjective ‘last’ imply about this woman?
2) What does the noun ‘Duchess’ suggest about the types of
people we will meet in this poem?
3) Does the title confirm any previous inferences you made?

TODAY’S KEY QUESTIONS:

1. How does the poem, ‘My Last Duchess’, link to the themes of POWER and CONFLICT?
2. How does structure and form help shape the meaning of a poem?
3. What should I be looking for when analysing a poem?
ROBERT BROWNING: SUMMARISE INTO FOUR POINTS
Robert Browning (1812-1889) Browning is best known for his use
of the dramatic monologue. My
was heavily influenced as a
Last Duchess is an example of this
youngster by his father's
and it also reflects Browning's love
extensive collection of books
of history and European culture as
and art. His father was a bank the story is based on the life of an
clerk and collected thousands of Italian Duke from the sixteenth
books, some of which were century.
hundreds of years old and
written in languages such as
The narrator of ‘My Last Duchess’ was –
Greek and Hebrew. By the time
in fact - a real historical figure – Alonso
he was five, it was said that the Duke of Ferrera.
Browning could already read
and write well. He was a big fan The Duchess he is looking at is the first
of the poet Shelley and asked of three wives who died after two years
of marriage under suspicious
for all of Shelley's works for his circumstances. Her name was Lucrezua
thirteenth birthday. de’Medici.

TODAY’S KEY QUESTIONS:

1. How does the poem, ‘My Last Duchess’, link to the themes of POWER and CONFLICT?
2. How does structure and form help shape the meaning of a poem?
3. What should I be looking for when analysing a poem?
 MY LAST DUCHESS
That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall,
Looking as if she were alive. I call
That piece a wonder, now; 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, for never read
Strangers like you that pictured countenance,
The depth and passion of its earnest glance,
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; 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; 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.”
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; 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,
The bough of cherries some officious fool
Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule
She rode with round the terrace—all and each
Would draw from her alike the approving speech,
Or blush, at least. 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? Even had you skill
 MY LAST DUCHESS
In speech—which I have not—to make your will Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed
Quite clear to such an one, and say, “Just this At starting, is my object. Nay, we’ll go
Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss, Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though,
Or there exceed the mark”—and if she let Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,
Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!
Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse—
E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose
Never to stoop. 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. There she stands
As if alive. Will’t please you rise? We’ll meet
The company below, then. I repeat,
The Count your master’s known munificence
Is ample warrant that no just pretense
Of mine for dowry will be disallowed;
 READ THE POEM AGAIN
Read the poem again in your head.

Try and work out what has happened already and what is
happening now.

Even if you do not understand something, continue

reading. By ‘reading around’ something challenging, it is
likely you will fill in the gaps through deduction and
inference.

Make notes if you wish. Be prepared to share some ideas!

TODAY’S KEY QUESTIONS:

1. How does the poem, ‘My Last Duchess’, link to the themes of POWER and CONFLICT?
2. How does structure and form help shape the meaning of a poem?
3. What should I be looking for when analysing a poem?
 WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT?
The characters mentioned in this poem are based on real
life, historical figures. The narrator is Duke Alfonso II who
ruled a place in northern Italy called Ferrara between 1559
and 1597. The Duchess of whom he speaks was his first
wife, Lucrezia de' Medici who died in 1561 aged 17, only
two years after he married her. In real life, Lucrezia died in
suspicious circumstances and might have been poisoned.

The poem is set in 1564, three years after the death of the
Duchess. An emissary (messenger or representative) has
been sent to see the Duke from the Count of Tyrol. The
Count is the father of the Duke's next wife (he married
three times in all). The Duke shows the emissary a picture
of his late wife and remarks on her character, suggesting
that she was unfaithful to him - and hinting that he might
have killed her because of it.

During his speech, the Duke makes himself look arrogant,

insensitive and selfish. The poem is a dramatic monologue.
TODAY’S KEY QUESTIONS:
1. How does the poem, ‘My Last Duchess’, link to the themes of POWER and CONFLICT?
2. How does structure and form help shape the meaning of a poem?
3. What should I be looking for when analysing a poem?
 YOUR TASK
Throughout
Now pickthe poem, two characters
quotations are presented
to explain TWO oftoyourreaders: the Duke
choices
and the Duchess. Draw a column each for the Duke and the Duchess. Read
for the
through Dukeagain.
the poem andLookTWO ofwords
at the yourbelow
choices forthem
and write the into
Duchess.
your columns. Which words do you think go in each column?

cultured happy ruthless

generous ruthless naive proud
gentle possessive powerful gentle
suspicious powerless insensitive
TODAY’S KEY QUESTIONS:
1. How does the poem, ‘My Last Duchess’, link to the themes of POWER and CONFLICT?
2. How does structure and form help shape the meaning of a poem?
3. What should I be looking for when analysing a poem?
 ORACY TASK
Work in pairs to try and rank the
statements. Place the most appropriate at
the top and the least appropriate at the
bottom. You might decide to give some
statements equal weighting.

Together, select ten statements that you

feel really capture the character of the Duke
within the poem. Find a quotation to
support each of the ten statements.

Team up with another pair. Take it in turns

to explain and prove your choices.

TODAY’S KEY QUESTIONS:

1. How does the poem, ‘My Last Duchess’, link to the themes of POWER and CONFLICT?
2. How does structure and form help shape the meaning of a poem?
3. What should I be looking for when analysing a poem?
 YOUR TASK: ANSWER EACH QUESTION AS
ANNOTATIONS
1. What word class does ‘my’ belong to? Why
has the speaker used it? What does it make the
That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall,
Looking as if she were alive. I call
That piece a wonder, now; 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, for never read
Strangers like you that pictured countenance,
The depth and passion of its earnest glance,
But to myself they turned (since none puts by
The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)
Duchess?
2. What can we infer about the Duchess
from this line? What can we infer about the
painting itself?
3. Why does the Duke mention the artist’s
name to the person he is speaking to? What
does this suggest about the Duke himself?
4. Do you think this is an odd request? Is
there anything sinister or manipulative to
be found in this question?
5. The abruptness of ‘I said’ implies the visitor
has tried to say something and the Duke has
cut him off. Why do you think he does this?
6. The Duke is controlling who looks at the
painting. What does this say about him? Why
control her in death?
 YOUR TASK: ANSWER EACH QUESTION AS
ANNOTATIONS
1. ‘Durst’ is another word for ‘dare’. What is the
Duke saying here? Who is ‘they’ and what are
And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst, they scared of?
How such a glance came there; so, not the first
Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, ’twas not 2. Who do we hear this question from?
Her husband’s presence only, called that spot
Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek; perhaps 3. What type of behavior does this allude to?
Fra Pandolf chanced to say, “Her mantle laps What can we infer from this?
Over my lady’s wrist too much,” or “Paint
Must never hope to reproduce the faint 4. A ‘mantle’ is a cloak. What is Fra Pandolf
Half-flush that dies along her throat.” saying here?

5. This reference to death is a little out of

place. How does it make the reader
suspicious?
 YOUR TASK: ANSWER EACH QUESTION AS
ANNOTATIONS
1. Why do his wife’s blushes bother the Duke?
Such stuff
Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough 2. What is the Duke saying about the Duchess
For calling up that spot of joy. She had at this point?
A heart—how shall I say?— too soon made glad,
Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er 3. What do the dashes tell us about the way the
She looked on, and her looks went everywhere. Duke is delivering these lines? How do you think he
Sir, ’twas all one! My favour at her breast, is feeling at this point?
The dropping of the daylight in the West,
The bough of cherries some officious fool 4. What impression do you have of the Duchess now?
Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule How is this different from the beginning?
She rode with round the terrace
5. How does the enjambment in these lines
reflect the anger the Duke is feeling?
 YOUR TASK: ANSWER EACH QUESTION AS
ANNOTATIONS
Never to stoop. Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt, 1. How does this line imply that the Duchess has
Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without been unfaithful to the Duke?
Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands;
Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands 2. What does this line tell us about the Duke and
As if alive. Will’t please you rise? We’ll meet
his nature? Could ‘commands’ be ambiguous?
The company below, then. I repeat,
The Count your master’s known munificence
Is ample warrant that no just pretense
3. Why have ‘all smiles stopped’?
Of mine for dowry will be disallowed;
Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed 4. What is the Duke doing here?
At starting, is my object. Nay, we’ll go
Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though,
Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity, 5. At this point, the Duke returns his attention
Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me! to the art he is showing his visitor. Why do you
think he does this? What does it suggest about
the Duke?
 MINI TASKS
Complete the mini tasks below as annotations on your poem.
STRUCTUR EXTRA
THEMES
E CHALLENGE

How does Browning use punctuation to

mimic unrehearsed speech?
Why do you think the poem is written in
Iambic Pentameter?
What is the effect of the enjambment in the
poem?
The poems is cyclical in that it starts and
ends with a discussion about art. Why do
you think this is?
The structure, at times, is unpredictable.
Why does Browning do this?
‘‘My Last Duchess’ is a commentary
Where is the POWER and
on the objectification of women.’ To
CONFLICT in this poem?
what extent do you agree?
What themes can you identify?
Is Browning promoting jealousy or
arguing against it in his poem?
How do the Duchess and the Duke’s
artwork serve the same purpose?
Only the artists are given names in
the poem. Why?
What other poems in the anthology
could you link ‘My Last Duchess’ to
Do you think the Duke has a right to
and why?
flaunt his arrogance?

TODAY’S KEY QUESTIONS:

1. How does the poem, ‘My Last Duchess’, link to the themes of POWER and CONFLICT?
2. How does structure and form help shape the meaning of a poem?
3. What should I be looking for when analysing a poem?
 Today, I have An impressive The most im-
learnt... comment made by portant thing I
someone in the have learned
class was…… today is...
TO CONCLUDE

Choose a number!

An interesting 1 2 3 4 Today, I was

idea about the successful
poem that I heard when......
today was…..
5 6 7 8

The hardest thing The activity The most

to understand
which most enjoyable
about the poem
was...
helped my activity was...
learning was...
RESOURCES
 POEM DICTIONARY

• Countenance = Face
• Durst = Dare
• Mantle = Cloak
• Bough = Branch
• Officious = Interfering
• Forsooth = Indeed
• Munificence = Generosity
• Dowry = Money paid to man by a bride’s family when they marry
• Avowed = Said
• Neptune = Roman God of the Sea