Perspectives
Here we help you put “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning into perspective.
The literary period
Robert Browning wrote in the Victorian age, which roughly falls between 1837-1901. In literature, this was a period between Romanticism and Modernism. This is also reflected in the writing of the authors, who combine Romantic stylistic elements with more innovative narrative and lyrical devices.
The most important features of the Victorian poets and their writings are that they were more sceptic than the Romantics, and they approached topics in a more realistic manner even if they still dressed them in more conventional forms, following strict rhythm and rhyme patterns. As you have seen, Browning’s poem is very realistic, lacks elaborate metaphorical speech, yet it is still very lyrical as well.
