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Critical Appreciation of Robert Browning Poems Essay

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Critical Appreciation of Robert Browning Poems

Robert Browning was one of the great poets of the Victorian age. He was on born 7th May 1812 in Camberwell and he died on the 2nd December 1889. Robert Browning got secretly married to Elizabeth Barrett in 1846 and went on to live in Italy.

Browning became an admirer of Elizabeth's Barrett’s poetry in 1844. He began corresponding with her by letter. This was the start of one of the world's most famous romances. Their courtship lasted until 1846 when they were married. The couple moved to Italy that same year.

Robert Browning did not become recognized as a poet, until after Elizabeth's death in 1861. After which, he was honoured for the rest of …show more content…

The Duke was a Renaissance nobleman. He was only concerned with material things, wealth and power (Has a portrait of his wife). The Duke is a very possessive man. The Duke only wanted to keep his wife to himself and use her like a fashion accessory. He did want his wife to see anyone but she had a mind of her own and liked other peoples company. Having her as a portrait means that he can let whoever he wants to look at her. This way he feels he has more command over her now

The poem is about a Count that wants to get his daughter married off to the Duke. The count knows exactly what the Duke is like. The count sent a social inferior; in this case we learn at the end it is the representative of the count.

The Duke is showing the representative of the count a portrait of his last wife that was painted by Fra Pandolf. He was really proud of this. The painting is covered by a curtain, which no one is allowed to open except the Duke:

“But to myself they turned (since none puts by the curtain I have drawn for you, but I”

The duke goes on to tell the representative a list of his complaints about his former duchess. He believed that his wife “had a heart– how shall I say? – Too soon made glad,”

The Duchess blushed very easily and this gave the Duke displeasure. He felt that he could not make her blush but some how on the painting; Fra Pandolf was able to

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