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RobertBrowning(1812-1889)Englishpoet,notedforhismasteryofdramaticmonologue.RobertBrowningRobertBrowning(7May1812–12December1889)wasanEnglishpoetandplaywrightwhosemasteryofdramaticverse（Dramaticverseoccursinadramaticwork,suchasaplay,composedinpoeticform.ThetraditionofdramaticverseextendsatleastasfarbackasancientGreece）,especiallydramaticmonologues（戏剧独白）,madehimoneoftheforemostVictorianpoets.Browning’sEarlyLiteraryCareerHebegantowritepoetrywhilestillquiteyoung,influencedbyP.B.Shelley.Buthisearliestworksearnedhimnothingbutsomenegativeattentionfortheirexpressionofstrongsensationsandtheirmorbidtone.Thusforatimehesetpoetryasidetoworkonplays,findingintheirfictionalworldanaptspaceforexperimentationanddevelopmentasacreativemind.Mostoftheplaysdidnotfindsuccess,however,andBrowningturnedbackagaintoverse.RobertBrowning(1812-1889)Browning'sfirstimportantpoemwasParacelsus(1835),alongdramaticmonologue.Thepoemachievedpopularsuccess,establishingBrowningasafamiliarnamewiththereadingpublic.In1841PippaPasses,alooselystructuredsetofpoems.MarriedthepoetElizabethBarrett(1806-1861),andsettledwithherinFlorence.Heproducedcomparativelylittlepoetryduringthenext15years.AfterElizabethBrowningdiedin1861,hereturnedtoEngland.RobertBrowning(1812-1889)1842:DramaticLyrics;and1845:DramaticRomancesandLyrics.1855:MenandWomen;and1864:DramatisPersonae,thoughnotwildsuccesses,theycontainmostofthepoemstodayconsideredcentraltotheBrowningcanon.ButthepoetachievedtrueliterarystardomwiththepublicationofhisversenovelTheRingandtheBook(1869),ahistoricaltragedybasedontheproceedingsinamurdertrialinRomein1698.WorksofRobertBrowningPauline(1833)TheRingandtheBook(10versenarratives,1868)MyLastDuchess(adramaticmonologuethatexplorestheideaofpossessive/distortedlove)(1842)Porphyria‘sLover(apoemoflovelust,andmurder)(1836-42)Home-Thoughts,fromAbroad(1845)BellsandPomeganates(aseriesofhisworks,1841-46)A'dramaticmonologue'isapieceofspokenversewithinplaysthatareoftenlinkedtokeythemesoftheplayoroffergreatinsightintothefeelingsofthespeaker.Nottobeconfusedwithasoliloquy,dramaticmonologuesarefeaturesofconversation.TheywerefavoredbymanypoetsintheVictorianperiod,inwhichacharacterinfictionorinhistorydeliversaspeechexplaininghisorherfeelings,actions,ormotives.Themonologueisusuallydirectedtowardasilentaudience,withthespeaker'swordsinfluencedbyacriticalsituation.DramaticMonologueApoemwhichinvolvesaspeakerspeakingalonetoanimpliedauditor.Throughhisspeech,thefollowingisrevealed:–what,when,whereandhowof“thestory”;–“agapbetweenwhatthatspeakersaysandwhatheorsheactuallyreveals”.DramaticMonologue&theReaderBrowninesquedramaticmonologuehasthreerequirements:Thereadertakesthepartofthesilentlistener.Thespeakerusesacase-making,argumentativetone.Wecompletethedramaticscenefromwithin,bymeansofinferenceandimagination.DramaticMonologueinHistoricalContextThepoets’meetingthereaders’needforstoriesinVictoriansociety,whennovelwasapopulargenre.Adevicetoexplorethedepthofhumanpsychologyandthethemeofalienation–byassuminganpersonae(oftenquitealientothepoet’sownvaluesandbeliefs).e.g.TheWasteLand,TheLoveSongofJ.AlfredPrufrock.MyLastDuchessLucreziadeMedici,DuchesstoAlphonseIIofFerraraMyLastDuchessThepoemprovidesaclassicexampleofadramaticmonologue:–thespeakerisclearlydistinctfromthepoet;–anaudienceissuggestedbutneverappearsinthepoem;–andtherevelationoftheDuke'scharacteristhepoem'sprimaryaim.FormRhythm:iambicpentameter;Rhymescheme:AABB(verycommontoballadsandsongs);Othertechniques:enjambment[韵]跨行连续,andcaesura节律停顿toconveyvariouscharacteristicsandqualities.Basedonthepoem'sstyle,structure,andhistoricalreferences,itbecomesevidentthatevenifthespeakerdidnotdirectlykillhiswife,hecertainlyhadsomethingtohide.“MyLastDuchess”:StartingQuestion1.Thewho,where,when,andwhyofthepoem?2.Therolethelistenerplaysinthispoem?3.Whatisthelastduchesslike?(seell.21-34)Whyisshecalledthe“last”duchess?Issheaflirtoronewithgenuinekindnesstoallcreatures?4.Whatistheduke'sattitudetohisduchess?Whathappenedtoher?5.Whatkindofpersonistheduke?Whatdoestheendingrevealabouthim?MyLastDuchess1.That'smylastDuchesspaintedonthewall,2.Lookingasifshewerealive.Icall3.Thatpieceawonder,now:FràPandolf'shands4.Workedbusilyaday,andthereshestands.1.墙上的这幅面是我的前公爵夫人，2.看起来就像她活着一样。如今，3.我称它为奇迹：潘道夫师的手笔4.经一日忙碌，从此她就在此站立。FràPandolfisafictitiousartistwhoworkswithcadavars--hedressesdeadpeople,andtakestheirpictures.Heisamemberofreligiousordersandso,onthesurfaceofthings,unlikelytohaveseducedtheDuchess.ThephraseThatpiecemustmeanthatportrait.ButOED:Appliedtoawomanorgirl.Inrecentuse,mostlydepreciatory,ofawomanorgirlregardedasasexualobject.5.Will'tpleaseyousitandlookather?Isaid6.FràPandolfbydesign,forneverread7.Strangerslikeyouthatpicturedcountenance,8.Thedepthandpassionofitsearnestglance,9.Buttomyselftheyturned(sincenoneputsby10.ThecurtainIhavedrawnforyou,butI)11.Andseemedastheywouldaskme,iftheydurst,12.Howsuchaglancecamethere;so,notthefirst5.愿坐下看看她吗？我有意提起6.潘道夫，因为外来的生客（例如你）7.凡是见了画中描绘的面容、8.那真挚的眼神的深邃和热情，9.没有一个不转向我（因为除我外10.再没有别人把画上的帘幕拉开），11.似乎想问我可是又不大敢问；12.是从哪儿来的——这样的眼神？13.你并非第一个人回头这样问我。adigress