Question 1: Briefly explain the overall structure of 'My Last Duchess'. How is the poem organized?

Answer: The poem is a dramatic monologue consisting of 28 lines, structured into a single continuous speech that reveals the Duke's personality and intentions.

Question 2: What is the significance of the poem's single-speaker structure in understanding the Duke's character?

Answer: It allows insight into the Duke's thoughts and reveals his arrogance, control, and possible guilt, making his character more complex.

Question 3: Identify the stanza or section where Browning shifts the tone or focus. What is the effect of this shift?

Answer: The shift occurs when the Duke mentions the portrait, focusing on her smile, which emphasizes his obsession with control and appearance.

Question 1: Quote Explosion: Analyze the line 'That's my last Duchess painted on the wall, / Looking as if she were alive.' What does this reveal about the Duke's attitude and how does its structure emphasize this?

Answer: The possessive 'my last Duchess' shows ownership and control. The phrase 'looking as if she were alive' suggests his obsession with appearances, and the enjambment emphasizes the continuation of his thoughts, highlighting his detachment.

Question 2: Identify and analyze a structural feature that Browning uses to create dramatic tension in the poem.

Answer: The use of rhetorical questions and pauses, such as 'Will 't please you sit and look at her?', creates tension and reveals the Duke's controlling nature.

Question 3: Describe how the poem's one-act monologue form influences the reader's perception of the Duke's character.

Answer: The monologue form makes the Duke seem authoritative and manipulative, as we only hear his perspective, which may be biased or self-serving.

Question 4: How does Browning's use of enjambment across lines affect the poem's flow and tension?

Answer: Enjambment creates a natural, conversational rhythm that can build suspense and mimic the Duke's manipulative speech pattern.

Question 1: How does the structure of the poem reflect the theme of power and control?

Answer: The controlled, clipped structure of the monologue mirrors the Duke's desire for dominance and his obsession with appearances and status.

Question 2: In what way does Browning's structural choices suggest the Duke's possible guilt or sinister motives?

Answer: The abrupt ending and the way the Duke casually references past actions imply a sinister side, and the structure leaves some ambiguity, engaging the reader to interpret his guilt.

Question 1: What structural similarities and differences can you identify between 'My Last Duchess' and 'Ozymandias' in how they portray power?

Answer: Both poems use different structures: Browning's monologue reveals personal control and manipulation, while Shelley's sonnet depicts the transient nature of power through a descriptive, reflective form. Browning's poem is more intimate, whereas 'Ozymandias' emphasizes decay and the impermanence of human achievements.

Question 1: Identify key structural features that highlight the Duke's personality. How do these features shape the reader's perception?

Answer: Features such as the monologue form, the use of rhetorical questions, enjambment, and abrupt ending emphasize his arrogance, need for control, and possible guilt, leading the reader to view him as manipulative and sinister.