"My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning

“My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning is about not only a man with a high stature in his world of politics, but the Duke of Ferrara no less. Coming from his point of view, he is a man who could (and should) have everything he wants, regardless of what it is. In this case, a wife who devotes every smile, blush, and quite frankly, her entire life, to him. A theme throughout this dramatic monologue is how the Duke treats his wife: with entitlement and complete disregard for her general well being.

The Duke eludes to these feelings first in the lines, “I call that piece a wonder, now: Frà Pandolf’s hands worked busily a day, and there she stands.” In the bolded portion, he refers not only to the painting, but also to his wife as she was in life: a mere object. Also, the comma before ‘now’ indicates he regards his wife with wonder in the painting, but in reality, appreciated her much less. In the italicized portion, a mysteriously placed page break separates two statements, which gives the line a new meaning that compliments his egotistical nature. Even though it isn’t apparent here, after ‘hands’ the poem carries on to a different line, which means that the remainder of the quote was meant to be about the wife; that she worked a busy life, and now smiles at only him. This last portion is again hinted at during the lines, “But to myself they turned (since none puts by the curtain I have drawn for you, but I)”