“My Last Duchess” is a dramatic monologue written by Victorian poet Robert Browning in 1842. In the poem, the Duke of Ferrara uses a painting of his former wife as a conversation piece. The Duke speaks about his former wife's perceived inadequacies to a representative of the family of his bride-to-be, revealing his obsession with controlling others in the process. Browning uses this compelling psychological portrait of a despicable character to critique the objectification of women and abuses of power.
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The Full Text of “My Last Duchess”
FERRARA
1That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall,
2Looking as if she were alive. I call
3That piece a wonder, now; Fra Pandolf’s hands
4Worked busily a day, and there she stands.
5Will’t please you sit and look at her? I said
6“Fra Pandolf” by design, for never read
7Strangers like you that pictured countenance,
8The depth and passion of its earnest glance,
9But to myself they turned (since none puts by
10The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)
11And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst,
12How such a glance came there; so, not the first
13Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, ’twas not
14Her husband’s presence only, called that spot
15Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek; perhaps
16Fra Pandolf chanced to say, “Her mantle laps
17Over my lady’s wrist too much,” or “Paint
18Must never hope to reproduce the faint
19Half-flush that dies along her throat.” Such stuff
20Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough
21For calling up that spot of joy. She had
22A heart—how shall I say?— too soon made glad,
23Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er
24She looked on, and her looks went everywhere.
25Sir, ’twas all one! My favour at her breast,
26The dropping of the daylight in the West,
27The bough of cherries some officious fool
28Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule
29She rode with round the terrace—all and each
30Would draw from her alike the approving speech,
31Or blush, at least. She thanked men—good! but thanked
32Somehow—I know not how—as if she ranked
33My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name
34With anybody’s gift. Who’d stoop to blame
35This sort of trifling? Even had you skill
36In speech—which I have not—to make your will
37Quite clear to such an one, and say, “Just this
38Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss,
39Or there exceed the mark”—and if she let
40Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set
41Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse—
42E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose
43Never to stoop. Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt,
44Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without
45Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands;
46Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands
47As if alive. Will’t please you rise? We’ll meet
48The company below, then. I repeat,
49The Count your master’s known munificence
50Is ample warrant that no just pretense
51Of mine for dowry will be disallowed;
52Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed
53At starting, is my object. Nay, we’ll go
54Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though,
55Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,
56Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!
The Full Text of “My Last Duchess”
FERRARA
1That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall,
2Looking as if she were alive. I call
3That piece a wonder, now; Fra Pandolf’s hands
4Worked busily a day, and there she stands.
5Will’t please you sit and look at her? I said
6“Fra Pandolf” by design, for never read
7Strangers like you that pictured countenance,
8The depth and passion of its earnest glance,
9But to myself they turned (since none puts by
10The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)
11And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst,
12How such a glance came there; so, not the first
13Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, ’twas not
14Her husband’s presence only, called that spot
15Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek; perhaps
16Fra Pandolf chanced to say, “Her mantle laps
17Over my lady’s wrist too much,” or “Paint
18Must never hope to reproduce the faint
19Half-flush that dies along her throat.” Such stuff
20Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough
21For calling up that spot of joy. She had
22A heart—how shall I say?— too soon made glad,
23Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er
24She looked on, and her looks went everywhere.
25Sir, ’twas all one! My favour at her breast,
26The dropping of the daylight in the West,
27The bough of cherries some officious fool
28Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule
29She rode with round the terrace—all and each
30Would draw from her alike the approving speech,
31Or blush, at least. She thanked men—good! but thanked
32Somehow—I know not how—as if she ranked
33My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name
34With anybody’s gift. Who’d stoop to blame
35This sort of trifling? Even had you skill
36In speech—which I have not—to make your will
37Quite clear to such an one, and say, “Just this
38Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss,
39Or there exceed the mark”—and if she let
40Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set
41Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse—
42E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose
43Never to stoop. Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt,
44Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without
45Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands;
46Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands
47As if alive. Will’t please you rise? We’ll meet
48The company below, then. I repeat,
49The Count your master’s known munificence
50Is ample warrant that no just pretense
51Of mine for dowry will be disallowed;
52Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed
53At starting, is my object. Nay, we’ll go
54Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though,
55Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,
56Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!
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“My Last Duchess” Summary
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“My Last Duchess” Themes
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The Objectification of Women
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Social Status, Art, and Elitism
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Control and Manipulation
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “My Last Duchess”
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Lines 1-5
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? -
Lines 5-13
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. -
Lines 13-19
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.” -
Lines 19-24
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. -
Lines 25-31
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. -
Lines 31-34
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. -
Lines 34-43
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. -
Lines 43-47
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. -
Lines 47-53
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. -
Lines 53-56
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!
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“My Last Duchess” Symbols
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The Painting
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The Statue of Neptune
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“My Last Duchess” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Enjambment
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Caesura
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Sibilance
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Metaphor
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Polyptoton
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Personification
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“My Last Duchess” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Fra Pandolf
- Countenance
- Durst
- Bough
- Officious
- Trifling
- Forsooth
- Munificence
- Dowry
- Object
- Neptune
- Innsbruck
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- See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “My Last Duchess”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“My Last Duchess” Speaker
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“My Last Duchess” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “My Last Duchess”
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More “My Last Duchess” Resources
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External Resources
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Robert Browning's Answers to Some Questions, 1914 — In March of 1914, Cornhill Magazine interviewed Robert Browning about some of his poems, including "My Last Duchess." He briefly explains his thoughts on the duchess.
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Chris de Burgh, "The Painter" (1976) — Chris de Burgh (a Northern Irish singer-songwriter, best known for "Lady in Red") wrote a song from the perspective of the Duke of Ferrara about his former wife, in which the duchess was having an affair with Fra Pandolf.
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My Last Duchess Glass Window — The Armstrong Browning Library and Museum at Baylor University has a stained glass window inspired by "My Last Duchess."
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Julian Glover performs "My Last Duchess" — Actor Julian Glover performs "My Last Duchess" with a suitably dramatic tone of voice. Note how he emphasizes the conversational quality of the poem.
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Nikolaus Mardruz to his Master Ferdinand, Count of Tyrol, 1565 by Richard Howard, 1929 — This poem by American poet Richard Howard provides the Ferrara's guest's perspective on the meeting between himself and the duke.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Robert Browning
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