A trochaic pattern- stressed followed by unstressed verbs
A toccata is a difficult performance and therefore Browning is showing off his skill as a poet. The toccata can allow a musician to show off their skill
The poem's language attains a musical effect
The poem gives reflections of a man who is either playing or listening to a piece by the 18th century composer Baldassare Galuppi
The music inspires the speaker with visions of Venice even though he is in England
The speaker invents a conversation of two lovers at a masked ball
1 of 3
Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister
Published 1842 in 'Dramatic Lyrics'
Speaker reveals his true thoughts about another (seemingly harmless) Monk named Brother Lawrence
There are signs of moral hypocrisy as the reader if left to question the nature of a supposedly religious monk (swears alliegence to the devil, destroys flowers and owns a pornographic novel)
Religious corruption
AB rhyme scheme
Poem written in stanzas
Dramatic irony throughout as the speaker is revealing inner thoughts to a wide audience
The structure turns from a random rant to a list of complaints
Written in iambic tetrameter
2 of 3
A Grammarian's Funeral
Published 1855 in 'Men and Women'
Dramatic monologue with an ABAB rhyme scheme
Member of a funeral procession talking about a grammarian who has just died
The grammarian devoted his whole life to learning and understanding
The grammarian has earned a lot of respect amongst the members of the procession
The speaker feels that the grammarian is worthy of a funeral
They want to bury him in an isolated place away from people, just like he had locked himself away from the rest of society and others in order to learn
Browning is grappling with understanding and the meaning of life. When life ends, what have they achieved?
Comments
No comments have yet been made