Rhetorical Devices In My Last Duchess
‘My Last Duchess’
“The poems show love to be a complex and powerful emotion.” Discuss the ways in which the poets have presented the different aspects of love in the poems you have studied.
Loosely based in the paternalistic patriarchal society that was the Renaissance period, the poet Robert Browning adopts the persona of the Duke Ferrara, in ‘My Last Duchess’. Written in rhyming couplets and iambic pentameter, the enjambment helps create a sense of continuity and naturalism that help dilute the horrifying scenes that are described throughout the monologue. The bitter and somewhat wistful conversational tone allow the reader to familiarise ourselves with this conceited persona in addition to the drawn out and overcomplicated sentences with
…show more content…
In Lines 43-45, a rhetorical question objectifies the Duchess’ smiles and deems them worthless because she smiles at everything and anything. The “spot of joy” seemingly informs the Duke on the Duchess’ secret agenda. The derogative term “spot” has connotations of stains, spoils and blemishing; an emblem of her dirtied nature. With that being said, the obdurate Duke uses that information to create a euphemism – "too soon made glad," which suggests that she is unfaithful to him- even if the theory is just a figment of his delusional …show more content…
The particular word choice of “favour” connotes an act of kindness beyond what is due or usual, a clear mockery of the Duke’s colossal egotism. This idea is enhanced by how the Duke refuses to stoop to her level by not asking her about her suspected affairs without any tangible evidence. His narcissism unsurprisingly leads him to place himself on a self-appointed pedestal, making it that much harder to “stoop” to confront the Duchess. By using a rhetorical question, “Who’d stoop to blame This sort of trifling?” the Duke pressures the reader into agreeing that basic communication shouldn’t be conducted because that would be “stooping”. Furthermore, in lines 42-43, Browning uses assonance to reiterate the stoic belief of how speaking to the Duchess would be lowering himself to her
All The King's Men Rhetorical Analysis
503 Words | 3 PagesPolitics: a constant debate between right or wrong and moral or immoral. Because of these conflicting arguments, some politicians resort to extreme measures to further themselves against their opponent. All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren deals with the strict division between the logical fairness of using truth to further oneself politically and the immorality of using facts as blackmail. In some instances, one may view blackmail may as logical and fair, since it is primarily based on truth.
Shunammite Ines Arredondo Analysis
443 Words | 2 Pages“ The comparison between uncle Polo and Queenie after “We are decent, Queenie says suddenly, her lower lip pushing getting sore now that she remembers her place, a place from which the crowd that runs the A&P must look pretty crummy.” (the explanation) “What? Aren’t you my wife before God and men? Come here, I’m cold, heat my bed. But first takes off your dress, you don’t want to get it creased” After Luisa marries her uncle Polo, he takes advantage even more without having no consideration over Luisa’s
Rhetorical Devices Used By Eugenia Collier
351 Words | 2 PagesHave you ever wondered how lightning bugs of fireflies light up? They do it by chemical reactions take place, energy is either absorbed or released. In certain special cases energy can be released, or emitted, as light. The author of Marigold, Eugenia Collier has a voice in her writing. Even so her characters in the story have a limited vocabulary she is still able to very descriptive and strong words.
Rhetorical Analysis Of Eliza Stacey
703 Words | 3 PagesBreanna Blanar Mrs. Curry-Minuni Advanced Placement English and Composition 23 February 2023 Rhetorical Analysis Rough Draft If you learned that your family was in debt yet again, would you help them? In 1847, Eliza Stacey, a mother who is expecting a child, is writing to her father-in-law, Edward Stacey, to ask for his help a second time. The Stacey family, living in Canada, has unexpectedly entered debt yet again.
Scarlet Letter Rhetorical Analysis
102 Words | 1 Pagesyou have not authority agents me all you can do is sit and watch like a good woman should do in the first places. Hester filfd with rage grabs a needile right by here and stabs mr.dimsdaile on the neack. his body colaps by the wendow to the ground and as alll of this was going on the little boy and his sister were behind hester the whole time . “ Im sorry you had to see that but if you dont want to come with me and pearl its find i understand but leave this place i must destroy the evedents
A Rhetorical Analysis Of Queen Elizabeth's Tilbury Speech
810 Words | 4 Pages“...Not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord, in the camp, and your valor in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people,”(lines 23-26). This shows another example of her intensifying her claim and passion for the upcoming battle and her empathy for her troops and the people of her kingdom as one whole. Enumeration and intensification of her dialogue captured and held the attention of her troops, while speaking directly to them on a personal
Rhetorical Devices In The Last Letter
1070 Words | 5 Pages“The Last Letter” In Tomas Young’s letter to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney entitled “The Last Letter” (March 2013), Young justifies that the Iraq War was a thoughtless act that caused more harm to those involved than good to the nation. Young develops his claim using a description of how the war affected him and others fighting, rhetorical questions, description of what the war was like, anaphora, and an appeal to pathos. Young’s purpose is to tell the intended audience about his view of the war in order to “make it clear” that millions of people “know fully who [Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney] are” and what they have done regarding the war. Based upon addressing Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney directly multiple times, the audience Young was writing to
Examples Of Lying In Huckleberry Finn
246 Words | 1 PagesIn the book there are many times when people lie for their own benefit which is deemed to be bad. The duke and the dauphin are notorious con men who lie for their own gain. “Alas, alas, our poor brother – gone, and we never got to see him; oh, it’s too, too hard!”
My Last Duchess And The Cask Of Amontillado Essay
1239 Words | 5 PagesRevenge: A Narrative and Scientific Perspective Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” and Browning’s “My Last Duchess” both revolve around revenge. We are introduced to men who swear vengeance on other characters. Yet, the mindsets of these men are, in some aspects, very different. To truly comprehend a story, we have to understand why authors make their characters behave the way they do in addition to the message being presented. In the case of “The Cask of Amontillado” and “My Last Duchess,” why do both narrators believe murder is totally necessary?
Compare And Contrast Elizabeth Browning And Anne Bradstreet
1096 Words | 5 PagesElizabeth Browning and Anne Bradstreet both manifested their own intense feelings of love for their husbands in the form of poem. The quote aforementioned was from Elizabeth’s poem “How Do I Love Thee?”. Although Anne Bradstreet also composed a poem, “To My Dear and Loving Husband”, in which she expressed her uncontainable feelings of affection for her husband, Elizabeth Browning verified that her love for Robert Browning, her husband, was much stronger through her employment of spiritual comparisons to her love,
Letter To Napoleon Rhetorical Analysis Essay
466 Words | 2 PagesBrowning attempts to win over Napoleon by showing her high praise for him, but also tries to get Napoleon to sympathize for her. She utilizes pathos in her exaggeration to try to strike an emotional chord in Napoleon. “I have been reading with wet eyes and a swelling heart (as many who love and some who hate you, your Majesty, have done lately a book called ‘Contemplations’ of a man who has sinned deeply against you in certain of his political writings, and who experates rash phrases and unjustifiable statements in exile in Jersey” (Line 14). She exaggerates her “swelling heart” to show Napoleon her support towards him to try to make him understand her side of the argument, by using an
Rhetorical Analysis: Diana, Princess Of Wales
1039 Words | 5 PagesDiana, Princess of Wales, was at the height of popularity at the time of her death. During Diana’s life as a princess, her philanthropy, as well as her scandal-plagued marriage, was broadcasted worldwide. At the young age of thirty-six, Diana was tragically killed in a car crash in Paris. Following Princess Diana’s death, the British Broadcasting Company released a news story providing rhetorically effective information. While the BBC was rhetorically effective, Queen Elizabeth and Wikipedia shared selections lacking rhetorical effectiveness, the most rhetorically effective amongst the selections was the eulogy the Earl of Spencer gave at Diana’s funeral.
Do I Love Thee Poem Analysis
781 Words | 4 Pages“Born in 1806, Elizabeth Browning spent most of her adult life as an invalid, ruled over by a tyrannical father who forbade any of his sons and daughters to marry. She married Robert Browning in 1846 after a courtship that had to be kept secret.” Thus, the passion in the poem represents the exact kind that motivated Elizabeth Browning to abandon her family tradition to marry Robert Browning. Furthermore, the transformative power of the love described corresponds to the way Elizabeth Browning often credited her husband for saving her life. As the power couple of English poetry, the Brownings are remarkable for their ability to love with words.
Similarities Between Sonnet 18 And My Last Duchess
1282 Words | 6 PagesIn contrast, the speaker in the “My Last Duchess” is flippant, jealous and manipulative, which argues that the speaker is complaining about his wife reflect how some powerful men cannot accept their own failure and place
Theme Of Love In La Belle Dame Sans Merci
1918 Words | 8 PagesLove can exist as affection, infatuation, obsession, pleasure and in many other ways, as love is abstract. Hence, there is no one single interpretation of love. Love is a theme that has been embedded into language and literature over the centuries, yet due to the ever changing perception of love people continue to search for a universal definition of love. Poems are able to showcase the inner feelings and desires of a poet as well as their own unique views on love. Nevertheless, through poems “La Belle Dame sans Merci” by John Keats, “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning, “Mother in a Refugee Camp” by Chinua Achebe, “The day is gone, and all its sweets are gone!”
More about Rhetorical Devices In My Last Duchess
All The King's Men Rhetorical Analysis
503 Words | 3 PagesShunammite Ines Arredondo Analysis
443 Words | 2 PagesRhetorical Devices Used By Eugenia Collier
351 Words | 2 PagesRhetorical Analysis Of Eliza Stacey
703 Words | 3 PagesScarlet Letter Rhetorical Analysis
102 Words | 1 PagesA Rhetorical Analysis Of Queen Elizabeth's Tilbury Speech
810 Words | 4 PagesRhetorical Devices In The Last Letter
1070 Words | 5 PagesExamples Of Lying In Huckleberry Finn
246 Words | 1 PagesMy Last Duchess And The Cask Of Amontillado Essay
1239 Words | 5 PagesCompare And Contrast Elizabeth Browning And Anne Bradstreet
1096 Words | 5 PagesLetter To Napoleon Rhetorical Analysis Essay
466 Words | 2 PagesRhetorical Analysis: Diana, Princess Of Wales
1039 Words | 5 PagesDo I Love Thee Poem Analysis
781 Words | 4 PagesSimilarities Between Sonnet 18 And My Last Duchess
1282 Words | 6 PagesTheme Of Love In La Belle Dame Sans Merci
1918 Words | 8 Pages