a piece of work that indicates the faults of something in a disapproving way

someone that is possessive wants to have all of their partner’s love and attention

to lower one’s moral standards and dignity

Understanding the poem 'My Last Duchess'

English

In 'AQA Power and Conflict Poetry', pupils compared the language, form and structure of a variety of poems connected by the themes of power and conflict. In 'AQA Power and Conflict Poetry continued', pupils work on making more nuanced comparisons between poems.

In 'A World at War: Poetry', pupils explore how poets presents the atrocities of World War One through their poetry. In 'AQA Power and Conflict Poetry', pupils analyse how a variety of different wars have been presented through poetry.

In this unit, pupis explore 12 of the 15 poems from the 'Power and Conflict' anthology. Pupils complete two lessons about each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. Pupils study the poems in three groups, and they pause after each group to compare how those poems present common themes.

Poetry anthology: first study

Discriminatory behaviour or images, whether on the grounds of race, gender, disability, religion or belief or sexual orientation, or otherwise.

Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Historic or outdated representations of people that may portray inequality or injustice.

Subjects which particular individuals may be sensitive to, eg, adoption, migration, bereavement or death, divorce, poverty, deprivation.

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

What form does the poem ‘My Last Duchess’ take?

''Who’d stoop to blame This sort of trifling?''

''...This grew; I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together.''

''Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed At starting, is my object.''

Which quote from 'My Last Duchess' suggests the Duke killed his wife?

She was pleased by the attention of other men.

What can we infer is the reason that the Duke killed his wife in the poem 'My Last Duchess'?

The Victorian era was marked by a rise in industrialisation.

Women were expected to be chaste in the Victorian era.

There was huge wealth inequality in the Victorian era.

Women were not highly educated in the Victorian era.

What are the most relevant pieces of contextual information for the poem ‘My Last Duchess’?

the patriarchy and how men valued their pride over their partner

the rigid moral code of conduct people had to adhere to

When Browning exposes the Duke’s arrogance in 'My Last Duchess', which Victorian ideals could he be criticising?

he wanted to disguise his critique of Victorian England

he believed it was more problematic than Victorian England

Why might Browning have set the poem 'My Last Duchess' in the Italian Renaissance?

a poem with fourteen lines usually about love

a narrative poem about legendary figures on extraordinary pursuits

Wordsworth retreating back to the willow tree in 'Extract from The Prelude'

Ozymandias' inscription on the statue's pedestal

Which of the below is an example of arrogance?

Which of the below is a possessive adjective?

There was equality between the rich and poor.

There was equality between men and women.

Marriage was not a respected institution.

Women were expected to carry out domestic roles.

What statements are true of the Victorian era?

their wife was a reflection of their own honour and reputation

they could only marry once in their lives

Why might a woman’s promiscuity cause outrage to a Victorian man?

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Adult supervision recommended

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Understanding the poem 'My Last Duchess'

Lesson outcome

Content guidance

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.