Robert Browning and the Dramatic Monologue - 1390 Words

Gabrielle Stith Denton English 12-2 May 13, 2004 Robert Browning and the Dramatic Monologue Controlling Purpose: to analyze selected works of Robert Browning. I. Brief overview of Browning A. Greatest Poet B. Family Life II. Brief overview of My Last Duchess A. Descriptive adjectives B. Cause for death C. Description of his wife III. Definition of Dramatic Monologue IV. Comments by Glenn Everett A. Point of View B. Tone C. Audience Imagination V. Comments by Terry Bohannon A. No Christianity B. Evil Characters Robert Browning and the Dramatic Monologue Robert Browning, one of the greatest poets of his literary period, was born on May 7, 1812, in Camberwell, London. He was the first child of Robert and Sarah Anna Browning†¦show more content†¦The dramatic monologue, as we understand it today is a lyric poem in which the speaker addresses a silent listener, revealing himself in the context of a dramatic situation (Murfin 97). The character is speaking to an identifiable but silent listener at a dramatic moment in the speakers life. The circumstances surrounding the conversation of the one side which we hear as the dramatic monologue, are made by clear implication and an insight into the character of the speaker may result (Holman 152). Although Browning wrote numerous dramatic monologues, his contemporaries often criticized his works as being too emotional. The dramatic monologues of Browning are characterized by certain identifiable traits. The three requirements of a Browning dramatic monologue are The reader takes the part of the listener; the speaker uses a case-making argumentative tone: we complete the dramatic scene from within, by means of inference and imagination (Landow 1). Critics have interpreted the third requirement, the readers interpretation and conclusions, as a suspension of the reader/listener between sympathy and judgment. The reader has a choice regarding the intent of the speaker, but he/she must remain removed until the speaker is done making his argument. Glenn Everett believes the role of the listener is a discovery that engages the imagination, but the listener must remain detached and abstain from passing judgment until the work isShow MoreRelatedRobert Browning s Dramatic Monologue953 W ords   |  4 Pages Robert Browning was a brilliant writer. The Longman Anthology of British Literature says, â€Å"More than any other nineteenth-century figure, Browning shaped the poetry of the twentieth, influencing British and American poets from, Hardy and Yeats to Elliot, Pound, Frost, Lowell, and Stevens† (1322). One of Robert Browning’s specialties was dramatic monologues. In his dramatic monologues, Browning develops his characters really well. Throughout the monologue Browning shows the true character of theRead More The Dramatic Monologues of Robert Browning Essay2233 Words   |  9 PagesThe Dramatic Monologues of Robert Browning Consider the range of characterisation in Browning’s dramatic monologues and the poetic methods he employs to portray his speakers. Some are written in rhyming verse, use metaphors, et cetera, but for what reason? What is the writer trying to achieve and how successful is he? Robert Browning (1812-1889) was an English poet noted for his mastery of dramatic monologue. He was born in London, the son of a wealthy clerk at the bank of EnglandRead More Robert Browning and the Power of the Dramatic Monologue Form1432 Words   |  6 PagesRobert Browning and the Power of the Dramatic Monologue Form The dramatic monologue form, widely used by Victorian poets, allows the writer to engage more directly with his reader by placing him in the role of listener. Robert Browning utilised the form to a famously profound effect, creating a startling aspect to his poetry. In poems such as â€Å"Porphyria’s Lover,† and â€Å"My Last Duchess,† for example, Browning induces a feeling of intimacy by presenting the reader as the ‘confidant’ to theRead MorePurposes of the Dramatic Monologue in My Last Duchess by Robert Browning920 Words   |  4 PagesMy Last Duchess by Robert Browning is a dramatic monologue spoken by the Duke Ferrari. It highlights the jealous and sadistic nature of his character and the weirdness that surrounds his late wife’s demise. A dramatic monologue is a kind of poem whereby a single fictional or historical character other than the poet is made to speak to a silent audience, in this case, only the main character is allowed to talk. The purpose of the monologue is to not to disclose the poet’s own ideas but the thoughtsRead MoreEminems Stan: Following the Form of a Dramatic Monologue Popularized by Robert Browning1088 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿The song â€Å"Stan† by rap artist Eminem fits the dramatic monologue format popularized by Robert Browning, because in Eminem’s song, Stan fits all of the characteristics of the Duke in My last Douches. Stan is extremely obsessive; in the beginning of the song he dies his hair and is trying to actually become Slim Shady, even his outfit and style are the same as Slim and is screaming in his girlfriend’s face because she keeps calling him Stanly when I would imagine he would want to be called Slim, orRead MoreA Comparison of the Dramatic Monologues of Porphyrias Lover and My Last Duchess by Robert Browning665 Words   |  3 PagesA Comparison of the Dramatic Monologues of Porphyrias Lover and My Last Duchess by Robert Browning Robert Browning (1812-89) was, with Alfred Lord Tennyson, one of the two most celebrated of Victorian poets. His father was a bank clerk, and Browning educated himself by reading in the family library. He published many verse dramas and dramatic monologues (poems, like My Last Duchess, in which a single character speaks to the reader), notably the collections Men and WomenRead MoreAnalyzing How Robert Browning Uses Dramatic Monologue to Portray Madness in His Poems My Last Duchess and Porphyrias Lover1438 Words   |  6 PagesAnalyzing How Robert Browning Uses Dramatic Monologue to Portray Madness in His Poems My Last Duchess and Porphyrias Lover A dramatic monologue is when a character in a piece of writing speaks their thoughts and feelings out loud. It is used because it gives an insight into the persons mind. Browning chose this form for the two poems because it makes the poem feel more realistic and you know everything the character is feeling it also subconsciously makes the reader feelRead MoreA Brief Look at Robert Browning1001 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish poet named Robert Browning who was born on May 7, 1812 in England. Robert Browning had extremely dramatic monologues, which later in life portrayed him as one of the best Victorian poets in the world. His father who worked as a bank clerk and mother who was a pianist, both collected books and pictures. â€Å"Porphyria’s Lover† and â€Å"Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister† are one of his best examples expressing his dramatic monologues and verses. ​At the age of fourteen Robert Browning already knew FrenchRead More Comparing Ulysses by Lord Tennyson and My Last Duchess by Robert924 Words   |  4 PagesComparing Ulysses by Lord Tennyson and My Last Duchess by Robert Browning. â€Å"Ulysses† was written by Lord Tennyson and is a poem about a mythical Greek character and is a dramatic monologue. Another poem that is a dramatic monologue is â€Å"My Last Duchess†, by Robert Browning. Both poems are similar, for example they are both structured similarly, and are both different, one difference being their subject. In this essay I will compare the two poems, focusing on form, and how language helps Read MoreAchievement of Self-Expression Through Concealment in Dramatic Monologue2761 Words   |  12 PagesHow does the dramatic monologue achieve self expression through concealment? Discuss with reference to any three Browning poems. When discussing the poetic form of dramatic monologue it is rare that it is not associated with and its usage attributed to the poet Robert Browning. Robert Browning has been considered the master of the dramatic monologue. Although some critics are sceptical of his invention of the form, for dramatic monologue is evidenced in poetry preceding Browning, it is believed