Love and Ego in Both the Poems My Last Duches...

Love and Ego in Both the Poems My Last Duchess and Last Ride Together By Robert Browning

Author Name : Ramen Goswami

ABSTRACT

The poetry of the Victorian age – that of the middle part of the nineteenth century, between the first Romanticism which fills its beginning, and the second which precedes its end – is woven of the two main strands of thought and feeling which run through the central period; that poetry finds its proper perspective on the intricate, shifting background of their interplay. The inspiration of each individual poet can be described more precisely in relation to those broad lines of development. The dramatic monologue “My Last Duchess’ is regarded as the best dramatic monologue in the whole range of English Literature. The speaker is the Duke of Ferrara, an important city and cultural centre of Italy. The spirit of Renaissance, its intrigues, its sensuality, its greed and cultural qualities are presented in it. On the other hand, The ‘Last Ride Together’ is a poem of unrequited love. The lover is rejected. But he does not blame his mistress. He is magnanimous and accepts the position in a brave and noble way. In order to show that he can control himself and make the situation easier for her he requests her for a last ride together. After a little hesitation the lady grants his request. The lover is happy that he is not banished from her sight. He imagines that the world may perhaps end tonight and the happy moment may turn into eternity.

Keywords: happy, cultural, pleasure, tyranny, hesitation.