Jim Roth’s Website

Hint: Please be sure to read the entire assignment below and carefully follow directions.

 What's Up with the Duke? An Investigation

First, promise not to find someone else's opinion on the Web. Instead, roll up your sleeves, dig into the poem, and challenge your skills to "read between the lines" of this poem and figure out the duke.

Here's what to do:  Assume you are an investigator looking into the duke’s character and values. (The duke is the speaker of the poem.)  Comb through the poem to locate clues that would help you determine what sort of person the duke is and what his relationship was like with the duchess. Please list the clues below (single words and phrases).

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Now that you have your clues, Here's what to do next:

In a paragraph or two, give your opinion of the duke.  See if you can read between the lines to learn what kind of relationship he had with the late duchess.  What was she like?  What did he like or dislike about her? How did he treat her?  Most important--how do you know?--provide evidence from your list--refer to specific lines of the poem to support your opinion of the duke.

When you've polished your paragraphs, please post them, along with your list, to this forum.  Below is a link to Browning's poem: 

Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess"--the poem and the video link