Introduction to the Poem

Robert Browning: My Last Duchess

In this course, Mr Clive Wilmer (University of Cambridge) provides an in-depth analysis of Robert Browning's 'My Last Duchess'. The course begins by introducing Browning himself and the dramatic monologue form, before asking us to consider the form of the poem (rhyming couplets) and giving a bit of background about the true story that the poem was based on. After that, the poem is read out, and we pose two questions that will form the basis of our analysis; What is impression of the Duke? And what is our impression of the (now deceased) Duchess? These questions are tackled in the fourth and fifth modules, respectively. In the final module, we examine the use of history in this poem; specifically, what does Browning gain by setting the monologue in Renaissance Italy?

Introduction to the Poem

In this module, we take a brief look at Browning's life, before introducing the dramatic monologue form and the associated critical terms "persona" and "interlocutor". After this, we examine the form of the poem (rhyming couplets) as well as looking at the the true story of the Duke of Ferrara's alleged murder of his young wife that may have inspired this poem.