Compiled and Circulated by Samir Kuilya, Faculty Member, Dept. of English, Narajole Raj College ==============================================
SEM -III: Paper C5T :British Literature: 19 th Century (1832-1900), Topic- Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’
**“The depth and passion of its earnest glance,……”(Line – 08) -- The intense and ardent emotions and passions have been reflected through the eyes of the Duchess who is no more in this land of living.
* “ But to myself they turned…….” (Line-09) –The strangers were very much surprised by the depth and passion of its earnest glance. They were unable to read the meaning of the depth of the piece of painting. So, they turned to the Duke for the explanation of the painting of the last Duchess.
* “ Since none puts by the curtain” –(Line-09-10)—Here none of the strangers did not bhave the courage to draw the curtain and ask him about the secret of her passionate look.
* “the curtain I have drawn for you, but I” (Line -10) -- The Duke will make the envoy understand about the secret of the painting. Only he can explain the secret.
* “ How such a glance…………..” ( Line-12) – The beauty of the glance is apparently appreciated by the Duke but actually he is looking down upon the simple and innocent smile of the
Duchess.
* “ Sir, ’ twas not/………../ …..into the Duchess’ cheek” (Line-13-15) –The Duchess has a delicate blush on her cheek, a tender smile ( spot of joy). The Duke may be considered as the hypocritical Renaissance patron of art.
Q.) What might be the possible causes of the smile ( spot of joy) of the Duchess in the picture? ( Line -15--21)
Ans.- The Duke explains that the cause of the blush in the cheeks of the Duchess is not caused by the Duke’s presence but by some trivial thing. The painter might have said that the piece of cloth was covering too great a portion of her wrist, and suggested that she should expose her wrist a little more. Again, the painter might also have happened to say that he could
Compiled and Circulated by Samir Kuilya, Faculty Member, Dept. of English, Narajole Raj College ==============================================
SEM -III: Paper C5T :British Literature: 19 th Century (1832-1900), Topic- Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’
never portray the rosy bloom which appeared in her throat for some times and also disappeared after some moments.
Q.) How was the last Duchess? ( Line- 21-32)
Ans.- The Duchess was an innocent and humble one having no sense of
discrimination. Everything pleased her. A costly gift from her husband, the dropping of the daylight in the west, The branch of the cherries broken by some officious fool, a ride on her white mule round the terrace -- all pleased her equally and she made no
discriminations in these things.
Q.) “ My gift of a nine- hundred- years- old name / With anybody’s gift.”- (Line-33—34)-- What does the speaker want to indicate?
Ans.- The last Duchess was so liberal in her attitude that she could not realize th difference between a trivial thing and a gift given by the Duke whose family is nine hundred years (900) old. This indifference towards the Duke’s prestige of the age-old aristocratic family by the Duchess was simply intolerable to the Duke. This proves the Duke’s pride in his blue blood.
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