My Last Duchess by Robert Browning example

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My Last Duchess by Robert Browning

I did not understand what this poem was about when I first read it. After re-reading it a second time I was still confused, so I had to look up some of the background information. The historical context of this poem transformed the piece and made it more accessible. Generally, I like poems that are relatable and decipherable without context, but this piece was really well written and I enjoyed trying to figure it out. I enjoyed the flow of words, the rhyming couplets and how dramatic the entire monologue is. My favorite imagery in the poem appears in the lines “Sir, ‘twas not her husband’s presence only, called that spot of joy into the Duchess’ cheek” and “paint must never hope to reproduce the faint half-flush that dies along her throat”. What an eloquent way to make note of the Duchess’ infidelity.

January 16, 2017

Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold

I loved this poem. It begins almost like a yoga meditation exercise, progresses onto a philosophical trail of thought, and ends in a somewhat somber plea to love. Each stanza is completely unique from the other and could easily stand alone as its own poem. I enjoyed how the author transported me to a beautiful beach on the French coast with the powerful imagery in the first and longest stanza of the poem. My favorite part, however, was the last stanza where the author begs love to remain true in a world that “hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain”. These words are timeless. What a powerful way to end this piece.

January 17, 2017

Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen

As all war literature, this piece was haunting and powerful. The name translates from Latin into “It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country”. The author uses provoking imagery to show us that this old phrase is anything but true. This poem was incredible to read, and I think I won’t be forgetting it any time soon. The author has a way of intensifying already powerful words and images by adding metaphor and simile in phrases such as “like old beggars under sacks”, “drunk with fatigue”, “an ecstasy of fumbling”, “smothering dreams”, “froth-corrupted lungs”, “obscene as cancer”, and “bitter as the cud of vile”. When reading this poem I felt a mixture of discomfort, exhilaration, and emotion. Owen’s vivid phrasing has been burned into my mind, and the image of a dead soldier in the back of a wagon won’t be leaving me for quite some time.

January 19, 2017

Musee des Beaux Arts by W. H. Auden

This was one of my least favorite assigned poems. I felt that the first stanza lacked originality, symbolism, and scheme. It read as something that could have been written by a teenager and published as a motivational post online. Granted, I did like the lines “even the dreadful martyrdom …

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