In What Ways Does Brownings use of the First Person Narrative in his :: English Literature

In What Ways Does Browning's use of the First Person Narrative in his Dramatic Monologues Help to Reveal the Thoughts and Feelings of his Characters? Robert Browning was a highly respected Victorian poet. He lived from 1812-1889. Browning eloped with and married the daughter of a family Tyrant, Elizabeth Barrett. They loved each other until death parted them and both poets wrote moving love poetry, having experienced the happiness of true love for themselves. The two poems I shall study in this essay give a whole different side to Browning's poetry and a whole different view of love. Both of them have little to do with love as most of us would understand it, yet both give very interesting studies of two contrasting characters. Browning uses the first person in his poetry to reveal the thoughts and feelings of his characters, and does this very effectively. The poem "My Last Duchess" gives us a complete character study of a Renaissance nobleman. Although he never talks directly about himself in his narrative, the Duke reveals a lot about his personality: it is made quite obvious that he is a very proud, arrogant and self-centred person. The poem is written as a monologue given by the Duke to a servant of a prospective new wife of his. He drops subtle hints to say that his prospective wife will have to behave in a way he sees fit, casually saying: "That's my last Duchess painted on the wall, Looking as if she were alive" He also twice mentions how the painting is by Frà   Pandolf. This name-dropping reveals that he is arrogant. He obviously wants the servant to offer some sort of praise about the painting as he asks him, "Will't please you sit and look at her?" He obviously likes to be in control seen as he keeps a picture one presumes he would like everyone to see behind a curtain, so that men that he doesn't wish to look at her can't. He went to the sitting for the painting because he was so jealous. He makes this clear by saying: "Sir, 'twas not Her Husband's presence only, called that spot Of joy into the Duchess' cheek" He disliked the way she took pleasure from all things. He considered that this meant she saw him to be as important as her white mule or a beautiful sunset. One wonders if he was possibly quite an insecure man, seen as he could not believe, "She thanked men." I think one would think this of any man who was jealous of a sunset! He seems to think it a disgrace that he didn't think she appreciated the title he