The Quality of the Dramatic Monologue by Robert Browning - Essay Example

 “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning is one of the finest examples of the poetic genre of dramatic monologue, which was published in his Dramatic Lyrics in 1842. In this great dramatic dialogue, the poet portrays the historical events concerning Alfonso, the Duke of Ferrara, who lived in the 16th century. The poet presents this poem as an ominous monologue by the Duke of Ferrara, who stands beside and introduces the portrait of his late wife to a stranger and to the readers. “That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall, / Looking as if she were alive.” (Browning, line 1-2) A comprehensive analysis of the poem brings about the fact that the real listener of this dramatic monologue is the second self of the speaker himself, although the presumed auditor is the Count’s representative. A reader can completely appreciate this poem as a perfect example of dramatic monologue through a careful understanding of the rhetorical language, the thematic concerns, the historical background, etc. As Aziz and Ghailan (2008) maintains, “the tone of argument tells us that there is a second point of view present, and it is that which we take. It is this strongly rhetorical language that distinguishes the dramatic monologue from the soliloquy.” (Aziz and Ghailan, 46) This paper makes a reflective exploration of Browning’s “My Last Duchess” in order to demonstrate the major themes, concerns, etc. of the poet and the usefulness of this genre in convincingly depicting them. A focused study of the poem confirms that it is an archetypal example of the dramatic monologue which is noted for the poetic devices, rhetoric language, dramatic setting, and historical background. Significantly, the poem is set in the background of the relationship between Alfonso and Lucrezia, the duke’s first wife who died in 1561. As a powerful poetic form used during the Victorian period, Browning makes use of the poetic devices connected with dramatic monologue to recount and dramatize some of the essential Victorian concerns. As Hans Osterwalder (1992) observes, Browning’s monologue fulfills all the requirements of this genre and is rightly regarded as the archetypal example of the dramatic monologue, especially because of the narrative strategy, style and the discrepancy between the persona and the implied author. “Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess” has always been considered the archetypal example of the dramatic monologue. The discrepancy between poet, or rather implied author, and persona, the actual speaker is certainly one of the hallmarks of the genre.” (Osterwalder, 183) Therefore, it is essential to realize that Browning’s “My Last Duchess” provides an apt example for the advantages of the dramatic monologue as a poetic style which helps the poet express his powerful emotions and concerns. Most significantly, it is essential to comprehend the underlying historical background of the poem in order to appreciate its quality as a dramatic monologue. As aforementioned, “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning focuses mainly on historical events involving Alfonso and his first wife Lucrezia, and the poet presents the poem as a monologue by the Duke musing over his departed Duchess. In this famous and much-anthologized poem in rhyming iambic pentameters, the depiction of the historical events suggests the Victorian England’s obsession with Italian Renaissance, the cultural and intellectual movement during the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries in Europe. As David Wheeler (2011) purports, the Victorians were fascinated by the co-existence of artworks of stunning beauty alongside moral and political corruption in the Italian renaissance, and the poet has efficiently depicted these aspects of the Victorian England. According to him, “Browning deliberately manipulates the narrative form and the genre of the dramatic monologue to address the position of women in relation to powerful as well as exploring the relationship between morality and aesthetics.” (Wheeler, 88) Therefore, it is essential to recognize that “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning deals with a historical background, focusing on the connection between morality and aesthetics. In a profound analysis of the dramatic monologue by Robert Browning, it becomes evident the poet applies the conventions of the genre dramatic monologue to the historical setting of the theme, which makes “My Last Duchess” especially appealing. It is also important to maintain that the style and structure of the poem had a significant influence on its success, and it is presented as a dramatic episode in the life of Alfonso. Significantly, the title of the volume in which this poem appears, i.e. Dramatic Lyrics, clearly suggests the dramatic aspect of this poem which opens with an indication of the curtain raised in front of the painting of the Duchess. As Harold Bloom (2000) maintains in his thematic analysis of the poem, “from its inception, the poem plays upon the notion of the theatrical, as the impresario duke delivers a monologue on a painting of his late wife to an envoy from a prospective duchess. That the poem constitutes, structurally, a monologue, bears significantly upon its meaning and effects.” (Bloom, 16) Therefore, the historical background as well as the thematic concerns of the poem is effectively presented through the structural, poetic, and dramatic devices employed by the poet. It is also important to recognize that the poet employs effective poetic devices to present his thematic aspects and historical themes which enhance the reader’s appreciation of the poetic skill in the given poem. Thus, the poem is presented in iambic pentameter as evident from these lines: “That piece a wonder, now: Fra Pandolf’s hands / Worked busily a day, and there she stands.” (Line 3-4) Another essential component of the poetic device is the point of view used in this poem and the first-person point of view contributes to the effectiveness of “My Last Duchess”. It is only by an understanding of the speaker’s perception of various actions and events described in the poem that a reader can appreciate the poem in total. “The reader must search inside the speaker’s speech, as well as enter his mind, so that he can know the other elements of the text such as the time and the place.” (Aziz and Ghailan, 54) Therefore, the poetic devices used by Browning have played a vital role in the effective depiction of the historical events described in the poem. In conclusion, the poetic devices, rhetoric language, dramatic setting, and historical background are the fundamental features which contribute to the quality of the dramatic monologue by Robert Browning. Works Cited Aziz, H Fatima and Ameen U Ghailan. “Dramatic Monologue in Robert Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’: A Pragma-Stylistic Study.” University of Basrah Studies in English. Jinan Fedhil Al-Hajaj and Graeme Davis. (Ed). Peter Lang. 2008. P 46. Browning, Robert. “My Last Duchess.” My Last Duchess and Other Poems. New York: Courier Dover Publications. 1997. P. 1. Bloom, Harold. Robert Browning. New York: Infobase Publishing. 2000. P 16. Osterwalder, Hans. “Poet and Persona in “My Last Duchess”.” The Yearbook of research in English and American literature, Volume 8. Grabes (Ed). Gunter Narr Verlag. 1992. P 183. Wheeler, David. The Imperial Nightmare: Studies in English Literature. New York: GRIN Verlag. 2011. P 88. Read More