My Last Duchess Analysis

Through the Duke’s abuse of power, love is presented in a negative way throughout ‘My Last Duchess’. Throughout the poem, Browning uses a heroic couplet in order to signify his grandiose nature; he views himself as a superior being who nobody can ever surpass. This is reinforced when the Duke juxtaposes the different gifts the Duchess received he specifically stated that ‘as if she ranked / My gift of a nine-hundred years-old name / With anybody’s gift.’ Juxtaposition is used in order to highlight the significance of the Duke’s gift. Browning specifically mentioned the name of the Duke’s gift to put emphasis on the meaningful surname he has gifted the Duchess, nevertheless giving him a reason to command and control her. Due to his individual

Throughout the poem, Achebe uses free verse to represent the continuous flow of the crestfallen emotions and thoughts of the mother, due to the poverty she and her son have to suffer. The suffering of the single-parent family is explicitly highlighted when Achebe describes the mother’s, “ghost-smile between her teeth.” The juxtaposition “ghost-smile”, suggests that the mother’s smile is forced, she purposely held the smile up in order to cover up her depressed and hopeless emotions. This amplifies the unconditional love a mother has for her child as she only wants to show the best side of her in front of her son. Love can also be portrayed in a depressed light when the mother used, “A broken comb and combed” her son. Plosive alliteration is used to amplify the pessimistic mood and poverty that the refugees are suffering in the camp. Despite of the poor conditions that the family is suffering from, the mother continues to use the limited appliance she has to provide her son the best she could afford. This intensifies the amount of love the mother has for her son, as even the poor conditions did not affect how much she loves and cares for him. Therefore, through the mother’s unconditional love for her child, Achebe presents love in a positive