Literature Choices:
“My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning
FERRARA
That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall,
Looking as if she were alive. I call
That piece a wonder, now; Fra Pandolf’s hands
Worked busily a day, and there she stands.
Will’t please you sit and look at her? I said
“Fra Pandolf” by design, for never read
Strangers like you that pictured countenance,
The depth and passion of its earnest glance,
But to myself they turned (since none puts by
The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)
And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst,
How such a glance came there; so, not the first
Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, ’twas not
Her husband’s presence only, called that spot
Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek; perhaps
Fra Pandolf chanced to say, “Her mantle laps
Over my lady’s wrist too much,” or “Paint
Must never hope to reproduce the faint
Half-flush that dies along her throat.” Such stuff
Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough
For calling up that spot of joy. She had
A heart—how shall I say?— too soon made glad,
Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er
She looked on, and her looks went everywhere.
Sir, ’twas all one! My favour at her breast,
The dropping of the daylight in the West,
The bough of cherries some officious fool
Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule
She rode with round the terrace—all and each
Would draw from her alike the approving speech,
Or blush, at least. She thanked men—good! but thanked
Somehow—I know not how—as if she ranked
My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name
With anybody’s gift. Who’d stoop to blame
This sort of trifling? Even had you skill
In speech—which I have not—to make your will
Quite clear to such an one, and say, “Just this
Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss,
Or there exceed the mark”—and if she let
Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set
Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse—
E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose
Never to stoop. Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt,
Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without
Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands;
Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands
As if alive. Will’t please you rise? We’ll meet
The company below, then. I repeat,
The Count your master’s known munificence
Is ample warrant that no just pretense
Of mine for dowry will be disallowed;
Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed
At starting, is my object. Nay, we’ll go
Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though,
Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,
Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!
Prewriting: Information Gathering to Learn More
Before you prewrite to develop your thesis idea about your chosen poem, learn more about the author and the author’s likely interests and inspirations.
- Which details within the poem are biographical?
- Which elements in the poem fit a popular poem format or genre from the author’s lifetime? Which elements differ from that format or genre?
- What were some major philosophical, cultural, ethical, or moral issues that were important at the time and in the place of publication?
Prewriting: Creative Writing
Once you have learned as much as possible about the author, the poem, and the poem’s context, it is time for some creative writing.
While thinking about the dominant issue within the poem, do one of the following:
- Write your own 10 – 20 line poem. OR
- Write a flash fiction story of 50-75 words.
Your creative writing should update the dominant issue for your community* this semester. Has the issue been resolved within your community? Is there still something that could or should change about this issue within your community?
Include your poem or flash fiction story above the introduction paragraph of your essay’s final draft.
Drafting: Prompt Response
ESSAY PROMPT: Write an example essay that informs your audience. Provide a series of examples for how your creative writing addresses the main issue of the original poem for contemporary readers.
- Focus/Purpose: to analyze and to support an opinion to a primary audience of classmates and instructor in 625-725 words.
- Essay Structure: Organize this content in an example essay structure.
- Content and Support/Elaboration: Your essay should be 5+ paragraphs. Each paragraph must have an example as its topic sentence. Support that example within the paragraph with 1 quote from your chosen poem and 1 direct reference to your creative writing.
- Paragraph Organization: Create complete paragraphs (topic, supporting details, transitions) organized as needed to support your ideas.
Revising: Submit your best ideas in your best words
- Style: Third person writing is required. College-level academic formality is expected as well.
- MLA: This essay must conform to 9th edition MLA standards. This includes the heading, the page formatting, in-text citations for the poem, and the full citation for the poem after the essay. NO OTHER RESEARCH IS PERMITTED.
- Research: The poem you’d selected should be the only source for this assignment. Any information gathering you choose to do while prewriting is to learn more about your topic before developing your thesis. The essay itself should only contain your own ideas and your selection of quotes or paraphrases of the poem to support your ideas.
