commands to kill his last Duchess As he says I gave commands Then all smiles stopped together Now he keeps her picture behind a curtain and only he can show it to others This reveals that the Duke sees women or anything around him as objects to own and control To show his dominating nature he tells the guest to notice the statue of Neptune the sea god taming a sea-horse The Duke says this bronze statue was specially made for him by Claus of Innsbruck a famous sculptor He calls it a rarity and it was made only for me It is his way to show his pride high status and power Symbols Robert Browning s use of symbols in this poem is so fascinating For example the painting and the statue of Neptune are symbols The painting of the Duke s last Duchess is not just a piece of art It shows how the Duke treats women like objects He did not like the Duchess when she was alive because she smiled at everyone and enjoyed life But now he loves her painting because he can control it He keeps it behind a curtain and only he decides who can see it So the painting becomes a symbol of power and control At the end of the poem the Duke talks about a statue of Neptune the Roman god of the sea In the statue Neptune is taming a sea-horse which means controlling it The Duke says Notice Neptune though Taming a sea-horse thought a rarity Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me This statue shows how the Duke sees himself as a powerful man who must control others like he controlled his last Duchess The statue is also called a rarity which means it is very special just like the Duke thinks he is So the statue of Neptune becomes a symbol of the Duke s pride power and need to dominate Form Browning s My Last Duchess is a fine dramatic monologue In this poem only the Duke speaks He talks to a silent listener the guest but the real audience is the reader As the Duke speaks he accidentally or intentionally reveals his own character We learn that he is an arrogant proud jealous and controlling man and a cruel murderer Meter Rhyme Scheme The poem is written in rhymed iambic pentameter It means each line has ten syllables and every two lines rhyme The rhyme scheme of the poem follows this pattern AABBCCDD That s my last Duchess painted on the wall A Looking as if she were alive I call A This gives the poem a smooth and controlled rhythm just like the Duke s personality Language The language of the poem is formal but personal The Duke uses polite words but his real nature is hidden beneath his smooth speech The words are chosen very carefully to show pride art and power In fine My Last Duchess is a powerful poem that shows how power and pride can destroy love and life Through the Duke s own words we see how he controlled and silenced his wife Browning uses the dramatic monologue style to show the darkness inside the Duke The poem is also a strong criticism of the way women were treated in society as objects not as human beings