Kyle Murway
Professor Wayne Hall
Writing for English Majors
25 September 2011
“My Last Duchess” Summary
In Robert Browning’s poem “My Last Duchess” there is a theme of betrayed love.
Browning’s narrator in the story is showing a lovely painting on the wall and goes into
deep contemplation about what the picture once meant to him. The picture is a portrait of
his once young and beautiful lover that is no longer alive. The visitor is somebody that he
has scheduled an appointment with to discuss another marriage. He then tells the visitor
some of the qualities that his last love possessed. Then the narrator, in a very nonchalant
manner, directs the visitor down the hallway to admire more paintings that hung upon the
wall.
While gazing upon the portrait, the purpose of the narrator listing the poor
qualities that his former love held is to inform the visitor what he is looking for in the
next marriage. Also, one of the main qualities he describes was that his wife was flirting
with other men and perhaps a little loose with her marriage. Regardless, the narrator, in
a calm and collect manner, hints that he eliminated the problem that bothered him. “I
gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands As if alive, Will’t
please you rise”. When he leaves, the narrator seems as if he already forgotten what
he had just thought about and the woman is just a part of his collection. While the
situation drifts down the hall from the painting, the visitor seems to have been given a list
of the qualities that the narrator desires. The way he discussed women and his beliefs
of loved seemed very formal and emotionless. The situation seems as if the narrator is
very possessive and controlling over women. Also, the narrator gives off qualities that
resemble somebody of higher status and power.
The second summary is much different then the first summary in the way it is set
up, the content, and the idea behind an actually summary. First, the beginning of the
summary is the factual things that can be observed from reading the poem. Then the
second part holds the interpretations behind the characters, situation, setting, tone, and
many other things. I feel that there has to be some sort of interpretation in the summary to
better explain what is happening. As long as there is recognition that certain things are
being interpreted, the two coincide with one another and aide in achieving a summary.