My Last Duchess
My Last Duchess (Robert Browning)
1. 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.
These are the lines of the poem “My Last Duchess” written by Browning. Showing the picture of his late wife to the count’s envoy, the Duke of Ferrara speaks of what he considered to be faults in the Duchess. True, she smiled at him whenever he passed by her. But then she smiled at anybody else who passed by her too. There was nothing special in her smile for her. husband. There was no difference between the way she treated him and the way she treated others. Her habit of smiling and showing appreciation to all and sundry for the most trivial of courtside increased so much that the Duke could no longer tolerate it. Therefore, he gave certain commands. As a result, all smiles stopped for ever.
2. 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?
These lines occur in Browning’s poem “My Last Duchess”. The envoy of a count has come to the Duke of Ferrara to negotiate a marriage between him and the count’s daughters. The Duke is a widower. He shows the messenger his picture gallery where he draws attention to the Portrait of his last Duchess. The painting is so well done that it reflects a life-like and realistic vitality. The Duke proudly tells the messenger that it is a wonderful work of art, painted by the famous artist, Fra Pandolf. The artist’s hands worked merely for a day to produce the marvellous picture of the Duchess. The Duke’s possessive nature is indicated for he considers his wife as a piece of property.
3. But thanked somehow
I know not how-as if she ranked
My gift of a nine-hundred years old name
With anybody’s gift.
This stanza has been taken from Browning’s poem “My Last Duchess”. The Duke of Ferrara says that it was good if his Duchess thanked people. But what he resented was her way of thanking. She thanked people for their Petty gifts. It seemed as if she could not distinguish between the great gift of a nine hundred years old name, which he had bestowed on her by marrying her, from the trivial gifts which other gave her. She seemed to consider his great family name on an equal level with ordinary courtesy from anybody.
4. Nay, we’ll go
Together down, sir.
Or,
Notice Neptune, though.
Taming a sea-horse, though a rarity,
Which claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!
In these lines of Browning’s poem “My Last Duchess”. The Duke leads the enjoy down the stairs to join the count’s party. Obviously the envoy bows to the duke to precede him down the stairs, to which the Duke with perfect courtesy insists on walking down together. The Duke calls the envoys attentions to a bronze statue of Neptune the sea-god, and proudly remarks the statue was specially made for him by Claus of Innsbruck. The Duke’s artistic taste is superbly combined with his pride of possession. He seems as much to appreciate its rarity as its artistic qualities.
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