Type of poem Rhyme scheme Does the woman have a name? Suggestions Does the man have a name/ specific identity? Suggestions Does the woman have power? What power does the man have? Describe the woman’s behaviour Is her behaviour typical/ acceptable of the time? Violence! Clear/ explicit/ ambiguous? Porphyria’s Lover My Last Duchess Dramatic Dramatic monologue monologue Alternate rhyme and rhyming couplets. Irregular rhyme scheme may be linked to turmoil in speaker’s mind. No name- her individual identity is not importantshe is of secondary statustypical Victorian gender dynamic No- suggests he is submissive to hershe is the one in control (at least initially) He has power due to rank and status to give commands and ensure that all smiles stop Implied- duke never states duchess was murdered. However his cryptic ‘commands’ and the fact ‘all smiles stopped’ followed by ‘looks as if she were alive’ heavily hint at murder Narrator- reliable/ Unreliableunreliable [Explain] How is this poem critical of women? How can this poem be read as a criticism of male conduct and behaviour Unreliable- [Explain]