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U n i t
p O e T R Y
Somehow – I know not how – as if she ranked
My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name
With anybody’s gift. Who’d stoop to blame
This sort of trifling?
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Even had you
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skill
In speech – (which I have not) – to make your will
Quite clear to such an one,
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and say, “Just this
Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss,
Or there exceed the mark” – and if she let
Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set
Her wits to yours,
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forsooth, and made excuse
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– E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose
Never to stoop. Oh sir, she smiled, no doubt,
Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without
Much the same smile? This grew;
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I gave commands;
Then all smiles stopped together.
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There she stands
As if alive. Will ’t please you rise? We’ll meet
The company below, then. I repeat,
The Count your master’s known munificence
Is ample warrant that no just pretense
Of mine for dowry will be disallowed;
Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed
At starting, is my object. Nay, we’ll go
Together down, sir. Notice Neptune,
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though,
Taming a sea horse, thought a rarity,
Which Claus of Innsbruck
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cast in bronze for me!
in such a way / valued
i.e. noble family name
humble, lower himself
(sciocchezze) / ability
(volontà)
do too little, go wrong
go too far
guided / openly
really, truly
even in that case / prefer
whenever
more or less / orders
i.e. in the picture
stand up
downstairs
well-known, famous
(garanzia) / expectation
(dote) / refused
person / declared
in the first place / no
(che doma) / considered
d
o
it
youRSelF
1
Answer these questions.
a.
At the beginning of the monologue the reader’s attention
is drawn to the painting of the Duke’s former wife. How
does the Duke look upon it?
b.
The presence of the envoy can be inferred by direct
addresses from the Duke and by his words: quote.
c.
Is the listener important in himself or as a mirror of the
Duke’s personality? Give reasons for your answer.
d.
What did the Duke find offensive in his wife? Why?
e.
Does the Duke think that his wife was unfaithful to him? If
so, which of his words suggest that?
f.
Which words hint at the murder of the Duchess?
g.
Love of art is part of the Duke’s personality. Where is a
work of art mentioned in the poem?
h.
Give examples of colloquial language and unusual syntax
in the poem.
2
personal response.
What kind of personality does the Duke possess? Give
reasons for your answers:
a
kind and tender
c
selfish and proud
b
violent and possessive
d
shy and reserved
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45
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9.
Who’d... trifling
: the Duke is a nobleman
and therefore too proud to acknowledge he is
jealous of his wife’s interest in others.
10.
Even had you
: even if one had.
11.
such an one
: to one such person, i.e.
the Duchess. Notice that the Duke uses the
impersonal form (“you”, “one”) though he
sometimes slips into “I” and “she”, the real
subjects. Again, he is too proud and too much
of a rhetorician (though he denies it) to
acknowledge his feelings and thoughts.
12.
nor... yours
: and did not openly oppose
your judgement.
13.
made excuse
: said she was sorry.
14.
This grew
: this behaviour did not stop, in
fact it became more and more frequent.
15.
Then... together
: i.e. he ordered someone
to kill her.
16.
Notice Neptune
: please take a look at this
statue of Neptune.
17.
Claus of Innsbruck
: probably another
imaginary artist, like “Frà Pandolf” before.
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