My Last Duchess and The Émigrée: GCSE Poetry Comparison and Sample Essay

My Last Duchess by Robert Browning and The Émigrée by Carol Rumens both explore how power can shape identity, relationships, and conflict. But they do so in very different ways. Browning gives us a sinister speaker who abuses his authority, while Rumens presents a speaker who uses memory and emotion as a form of resistance to oppression. Understanding how these two poems present power, control, and inner strength is key for success in the comparison question.

Theme Focus: Power and Conflict

My Last Duchess

• Written in the form of a dramatic monologue by a powerful Duke, who seems to have murdered his wife because she didn’t behave how he wanted.

• The poem explores gender-based violence, pride, and controlling behaviour.

• Power is shown as dangerous, especially when combined with jealousy and arrogance.

The Émigrée

• Focuses on someone who has had to flee their homeland, but remembers it with love and hope.

• Explores emotional power, memory, and identity in conflict.

• The speaker is oppressed by others, but resists through memory and language.

  
  

Key Quotes + Quick Analysis

My Last Duchess – Robert Browning

“I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together.”

TIP: Short, cold statement. Suggests murder without emotion. Shows ultimate abuse of power.

“My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name.”

TIP: The Duke values his status and reputation more than his wife’s happiness. His pride is part of the conflict.

“The curtain I have drawn for you, but I.”

TIP: Shows the Duke’s control even after her death. She’s now just a possession—like his artwork.

The Émigrée – Carol Rumens

“I am branded by an impression of sunlight.”

TIP: The word “branded” suggests permanence and pain, but also shows how powerful her memories are.

“They accuse me of being dark in their free city.”

TIP: The speaker is marginalised or rejected in the new place. This shows external conflict.

“My city hides behind me.”

TIP: Reversal of power. The speaker now protects her city through memory—her identity gives her strength.

Structure & Form

My Last Duchess

• Written in iambic pentameter and rhyming couplets – shows the Duke’s controlled, rehearsed tone.

• But with enjambment, his emotions still spill out. His attempt at control reveals his inner instability.

• It’s a dramatic monologue, so we only hear his side – making him an unreliable narrator.

  
  

The Émigrée

• Free verse with irregular stanzas – reflects the chaos of exile and shifting memory.

• Repetition of “sunlight” – shows her hope and affection for her home is consistent.

• Ends with a sense of defiance despite threats: “my shadow falls as evidence of sunlight.”

  
  

Comparison Tips – What to Write in an Essay

Key Area	My Last Duchess	The Émigrée
Type of Power	Male, aristocratic, dangerous control	Emotional, imaginative, personal strength
Conflict Type	Internal jealousy → external violence	Political exile → inner emotional conflict
Tone	Sinister, proud, arrogant	Nostalgic, lyrical, defiant
Form	Dramatic monologue with controlled rhyme	Free verse, irregular structure
Final Message	Abuse of power leads to destruction	Memory can be a form of resistance and power

Top Tip: Link how both poems show different reactions to power. The Duke uses it to dominate, while the émigrée uses memory to resist control.

Context Quick Notes

My Last Duchess

• Written in Victorian era by Robert Browning.

• Based on a real Italian Duke (Alfonso II) who possibly had his wife killed.

• Reflects the male dominance of the time and how status and control were seen as vital for men.

• Browning is criticising this kind of possessive behaviour.

  
  

The Émigrée

• Written by Carol Rumens in the 1990s.

• No country is named – shows it could apply to many situations.

• Reflects the experiences of exile, immigration, and memory.

• Shows how people can keep their identity alive through language and imagination.

  
  

Final Exam Tips

• Always use comparative language: similarly, in contrast, both poems, unlike..., whereas...

• Don’t forget context – what was happening in the poet’s world and why it matters!

• Pick out language techniques and form (like enjambment or rhyme) and link them to the poem’s message.

• Make sure you address the question, especially if it asks about power, conflict, or identity.