came from a supportive atmosphere; inclination to pampering and education; encouraged him to paint; much of his education came from his father's extensive and eccentric library

when 14, he discovered Shelley, who had a profound influence on him; the immediate impact was that he became and atheist and a vegetarian (later modified)

early on, he decided he wanted to be a poet

worked as a dramatist; although a failure, what he learned helped him

"Soratello" established his reputation for obscurity

fell in love with Elizabeth Barrett's writing probably before he fell in love with her; eloped (her father tyrannical) and they settled in Florence

1. a speaker in a moment of crisis

2. a listener who does and says things not recorded but obvious

3. a revelation of character that is ironic in that it was not meant to be revealed; all of this later used in 20th century poetry (for example, Eliot's "Prufrock")

1. Euphony-- characterized by beautiful language

2. Possibilities for colloquial language

dramatic monologue (history) + his idea of and contribution to language = Browning as an important poet

1. optimism-- sense of a man who had not suffered much; happy contented man

2. philosophy of the imperfect-- this world life a testing ground; paradox that success is failure (goal set too low)

3. the importance he places on love-- both human and divine

1. This is a dramatic monologue. Keep in mind that these words, though the come from Browning’s pen, are not Browning’s thoughts. {Set the stage: the duke of Ferrara is speaking to an agent who is negotiating the a marriage (the duke’s second)}

2. {Read aloud.} As I read, listen for what you think the duke expected from his first wife and what you think he’ll want from his second.

3. He shows the agent two works of art. Why do you think he does this? Is he showing off? Does each work reveal something about the duke he may not be aware he is revealing?

4. When he states that his first wife smile came too easily, what does he mean? Why should that bother him?

5. Cf. ll. 31-34. What is so important about his name?

6. Why can’t he make his will known to her? Even if he could, he won’t. Why not?

7. What do you think it means when he says, "I gave commands;/Then all smiles stopped together" (45-46)?

8. What do you think the reaction of the agent is? [Why does the duke misunderstand his actions?]

9. What do his words about the statue of Neptune tell us about the duke?

10. One might see this poem and the attitude of the duke and say that he is immature or ignorant. But where do such ideas about love and marriage come from and why do they prevail in some people? What issues of power are not dealt with in marriage? Why is power even a word that comes up?

1.Set the stage. Here we have a bishop, nearing death, speaking to his sons (who are illegitimate). There is a great deal of irony here, and his character is less than Christlike. In the opening line we find a passage from the Bible that tells us a great deal about his character.

2. Who is it that the bishop claims envied him? Why?

3. Cf. ll. 13-15. He speaks of peace. Why are the next lines ironic?

4. What is important about the tomb he is trying to make sure he is in? What does he promise/threaten concerning his tomb? {ll. 73-75: horses, brown Greek manuscripts, mistresses; ll. 102-103: he’ll give his property to the Pope}

5. He says to his sons that their eyes "glitter like [their] mother's for [his] soul" (105) and that they have "stabbed [him] with ingratititude" (114). Why should he not be surprised at how they treat him?

6. Why would he want to be placed where he can see Old Gandolf?

7. What other examples of irony do we have in this poem?

"Fra Lippo Lippi" (1373) -- may not be covered in class; general notes follow

"Andrea del Sarto" (1385) -- may not be covered in class

1. In what way could this person be a "perfect" painter? What would be a problem with this?

2. Though he says late in this poem, "I regret little, I would change still less" (245), I'm convinced he regrets a great deal. What might he regret about his life?

3. He compares himself to three great artists: DaVinci, Michaelangelo, and Raphael. What advantages did they have that he does not have? What were their subjects? Is there something in their religious paintings that he might envy, though he points out their flaws? What does it mean when he says, "a man’s reach should exceed his grasp/Or what’s a heaven for" (97-98)? What is his inspiration?

4. How has Lucretia kept him back? What in the poem tells us he loves her? [What does he gain from her?]

5. [What does this poem tell us about marriage?]

6. other notes on the poem