Considering Poems Or Passages From Longer Poems Discuss Essay Example

friend who is in dire need of money. The setting of the poem is disclosed in line fifteen as Fiesole, a quaint Italian village described as "Yonder, sober, pleasant Fiesole." Andrea's monotony with the town is conveyed in his portrayal of its greyish hue. More directly compared to Andrea, Browning introduces the narrator's name immediately in "Fra Lippo Lippi" with, "I am poor brother Lippo."While Andrea takes many lines to describe his town and surroundings, the scene in Fra Lippo is easier to comprehend. We learn that it is past midnight and Fra Lippo is near a brothel at the end of an alley. He is being held by night watchmen, one of whom has their hand around his throat - all conveyed in just a few lines.

Browning effectively introduces his characters in the midst of different scenarios: Andrea after a confrontation with Lucreiza and Fra Lippo at the beginning of one with a night watchman. However, their true characters are revealed through their individual responses; Fra Lippo is able to forget the quarrel while Andrea is not. Through his handling of dramatic monologues, Browning portrays characters in diverse ways. Fra Lippo and Andrea are both artists who understand they will never be regarded as truly great artists, but their reactions to their life situation differ greatly. The poem 'The Laboratory' presents a similar scenario to Andrea's, where a woman suspects her lover is having an affair. However, in this case, the woman exhibits entirely different behaviour. She proactively expresses her desire to kill the woman her lover is attracted to, which contrasts with Andrea's monologue that slowly hints at his misgivings about his

marital situation, while quickly retracting negative comments towards Lucrezia out of fear of upsetting her.

The poem is a dramatic monologue written in iambic pentameter that lends itself to natural conversation. However, not every line is in iambic pentameter and some dashes disrupt the rhythm to match Andrea's frustration. Lines such as "I do what many dream of all their lives" lack clear rhymes to enhance the conversational tone. The poem lacks enjambment, which makes it easily dramatizable without revealing its poetic nature. Andrea's direction to Lucrezia, "This chamber for example - turn your head - All that's behind us!" illustrates this quality, with clear-cut lines emphasizing key words and actions.Although also written in iambic pentameter, this scheme differs from another dramatic monologue, 'My Last Duchess.' While using a definite rhyming couplet scheme, Browning's use of enjambment makes the rhyming unobtrusive, allowing the conversational aspect of the poem to remain undisturbed. The lines "But to myself they turned (since none puts by/The curtain I have drawn for you but I)" lack real rhyme or rhythm, creating a very sincere and melancholic conversational tone.

The language used by Fra Lippo Lippi and Andrea presents a stark contrast. Fra Lippi infuses his speech with bursts of song and colloquial expressions like 'Zooks!', reflecting his laid-back and casual character, a language choice quite unlike Andrea's. Although Andrea tends to suppress his emotions, he occasionally expresses bitterness towards Lucrezia, whom he blames for his failed paintings. For instance, he complains about the little work he gets to paint for her and the way she 'smeared' it, a word that highlights the mixed feelings he harbors towards his wife. In any dramatic

monologue, the character's language is the hallmark of their personality, as seen in Andrea Del Sarto where Lucrezia, the model, and wife, is the target audience. However, the audience is the captain of the Night Watch in Fra Lippo Lippi's monologue and the ambassador in 'My Last Duchess.' Despite Lucrezia's apparent shortcomings, Andrea appears blindly devoted to her, unable to accuse her of any wrongdoing directly.The poem uses moon-related imagery to suggest that Andrea's wife is unfaithful when he refers to her as "oh so sweet-My face, my moon, my everybody's moon." However, he manages to find a certain beauty in her actions through this language. The poem has a melancholic tone and flow that amplifies Andrea's despair, exemplified by the impactful line: "Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?" This line captures his attitude towards life and blends the beauty of language with a feeling of hopelessness.

According to Abigail Newman from Brown University, Andrea's language suggests that he seeks approval from Lucrezia, who only sees him as her husband rather than a talented artist. Andrea tries to appeal to Lucrezia on this level because he fears he is losing her love. Their home, which was meant to be lively, now feels melancholic. Andrea is always seeking Lucrezia's appreciation and complains that she does not understand or care for his art but can listen when others speak. Abigail Newman also suggests that Del Sarto is insecure about his artistic abilities and worries that he is dependent on Lucrezia in a way that other successful artists were not. He seems to believe his love for Lucrezia diminishes the integrity

and genius of his art. Andrea constantly needs Lucrezia by his side and believes that if they could simply sit together by the window, holding hands, he would be refreshed and able to paint well the next morning.The poem showcases Browning's talent for dramatic monologues and reveals Andrea's character and his dependency on Lucrezia. While he resents needing her, he cannot admit his downfall directly. The slow reveal of his wife's actions and his true opinion of her lover create a beautifully written piece. Even at the end, as Lucrezia heads off to her lover again, Andrea holds on to his love for her. Despite being a man in despair, the poem is one of Browning's finest character portrayals due to the mixture of gorgeous language and imagery.