My Last Duchess BY ROBERT BROWNING FERRARA (Short summary and analysis)

 My Last Duchess 

BY ROBERT BROWNING

FERRARA

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

In speech—which I have not—to make your will

Quite clear to such an one, and say, “Just this

Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss,

Or there exceed the mark”—and if she let

Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set

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;

Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed

At starting, is my object. 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.

Short Summary and analysis 

* This poem is loosely based on historical events involving 'Alfonso', the Duke of Ferrara, who lived in the 16th century.

* The Duke is the speaker of the poem, and tells us he is entertaining an emissary who has come to negotiate the Duke’s marriage (he has recently been widowed) to the daughter of another powerful family. 

* The Duke of Ferrara is in conversation with an envoy of a very powerful Count. He is the speaker of the poem. The Duke is looking to marry the Count’s daughter. It is because he lost his wife recently.

* Thus, in the poem , the Duke is showing the envoy around his palace. Throughout the tour, we learn shocking revelations about the Duke. The irony which Browning provides in this poem is crystal clear.

* On the tour, he comes across a portrait of his last Duchess. He believes that the painter has captured the spectacle of the Duchess’s glimpse. But, he also says that her deep and zealous glance was not just for the Duke and her nature was quite jovial.

* Thus, we see how her jovial nature did not go down well with him. The Duke believed that she was flirting with almost everyone. It becomes clear that he is very controlling as a husband.

* In the poem as the Duke recalls about her nature, his tone grows harsher. Humans and nature, both impressed the Duchess easily which was not acceptable to him.

* My last Duchess summary tells us that  how the Duke thinks about his dead wife that , she did not respect his lineage.

* Thus, he decides to lesson her on loving everything so easily. Consequently, we learn that the Duke probably commanded to kill her. After that, he casually gets back to the business at hand.

* The Duke  accompanies the envoy back to the Count. Further, he also asks for a high dowry. 

* As the Duke and the emissary walk leave the painting behind, the Duke points out other notable artworks in his collection.

* My Last Duchess summary revolves around the theme of political and social power in the hands of the Duke. It depicts the harsh reality of a controlling marriage and a dominating husband who enjoys tyrannical power.

Themes : 

* Political and social power in the hands of the Duke.

My Last Duchess summary revolves around the theme of political and social power in the hands of the Duke. It depicts the harsh reality of a controlling marriage and a dominating husband who enjoys tyrannical power.

* Pride and jealousy 

My Last Duchess” centers around a portrait of the eponymous duchess, but the poem itself is a portrait of the jealous duke. Much of the poem’s tension arises from the difference between what the duke intends to convey and what he inadvertently reveals about himself.

 He tries to characterize the duchess as someone who lavishes attention and praise too broadly, but in doing so, he characterizes himself as a man driven to extremes by possessiveness and pride.

* Art and Truth

“My Last Duchess” is a work of art that reflects on the nature of art itself. Specifically, the poem is interested in how art can contain layered, contradictory truths. This model of art is reflected in the portrait of the duchess.