My Last Duchess

Grade Levels

Excerpt

• In the first two lines of the poem, how do you learn that the speaker is a duke? What is his relationship to the woman portrayed in the painting? What do you learn about her?
• What do strangers who view the painting often notice about the Duchess? What would they ask about her, if they dared? Why do you think the Duke is quick to point out that her portrait was painted by Frà Pandolf (Brother Pandolf), a member of a religious order?
• Describe the unusual way the Duke displays the portrait of the Duchess. What does his manner of displaying the portrait suggest about him?
• What are some specific details that suggest the Duchess found joy in the simple things of life?

About

These eNotes Reading Response Prompts are designed to encourage your students to read more effectively and with more pleasure by giving them interesting subjects to write about after they have read. Many of the prompts will take them directly into the text, while others will give them an opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings and to reflect on their own experiences.

A second purpose of the eNotes Reading Response Prompts is to facilitate instruction in ways that work for you in the classroom. The organization of the prompts makes them easy to use, and the content and construction of the prompts are designed to develop students’ knowledge and academic skills.