–21 REFER TO THE FOLLOWING POEM WRITTEN DURING THEVICTORIA...
Questions 12–21
refer to the following poem written during the
Victorian period. Read the poem carefully and then answer the
questions.
My Last Duchess
Line
That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall.
Looking as if she were alive. I call
That piece a wonder, now: Frà Pandolf’s hands
Worked busily a day, and there she stands.
5
Will’t please you to sit and look at her? I said
“Frà Pandolf” by design, for it never read
Strangers like you that pictured countenance.
The depth and passion of its earnest glance,
But to myself they turned (since none puts by
10
The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)
And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst,
How such a glance came there; so, not the first
Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, ‘twas not
Her husband’s presence only, called that spot
15
Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek: perhaps
Frà Pandolf chanced to say “Her mantle lap
Over my lady’s wrist too much,” or Paint
Must never hope to produce the faint
Half-flush that dies along her throat; such stuff
Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough
20
For calling up that spot of joy. She had
A heart—how shall I say?—too soon made glad,
Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er
She looked on, and her looks went everywhere.
25
Sir, ‘twas all one! My favor at her breast,
The dropping of the daylight in the West,
The bough of cherries some officious fool
Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule
She rode round the terrace—all and each
30
Would draw from her alike the approving speech,
Of blush, at least. She thanked men—good! but thanked
Somehow—I know not how—as if she ranked
My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name
With anybody’s gift. Who’d stoop to blame
35
GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE
➡This sort of trifling? Even had you the skill
In speech—(which I have not)—to make your will
Quite clear to such an one, and say. “Just this
177
Peterson’s: https://traloihay.net
Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss,
Or there exceed the mark”—and if she let
40
Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set
Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse,
—E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose
Never to stoop. Oh sir, she smiled, no doubt,
Whene’er I passed her, but who passed without
45
Much the same smile? This grew, I gave commands;
Then all the smiles stopped together. There she stands
As if alive. Will ‘t please you rise? We’ll meet
The company below, then. I repeat
The Count your master’s known munificence
50
Is ample warrant that no one just pretense
Of mine for dowry will be disallowed;
Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed
At starting, is my object. Nay, we’ll go
Together down, sir! Notice Neptune,
55
Taming a sea horse, thought a rarity
When Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!
—Robert Browning
12.
Which of the following does not describe
13.
Which of the following best describes the
the significance of the title?
overall feeling of the poem?
(A)
The title tells you the subject of the
(A)
Cruel
(B)
Powerful
poem.
(C)
Depraved
(B)
The title sets the tone of the poem.
(D) Chilling
(C)
The title engages the reader’s
(E)
Vicious
attention.
(D) The title invites the reader’s participa-
tion.
(E)
The title makes the first statement
from which we can infer that the
Duchess is out of the Duke’s life.
14.
Which of the following lines demonstrates
15.
What does the inclusion of the detail of
that the Duke sees himself as reasonable?
the bronze sculpture of Neptune taming a
seahorse suggest about the Duke’s charac-
(A)
“—E’en then would be some stoop-
ter?
ing: and I choose/Never to stoop. Oh
I.
The Duke is a collector of fine art.
sir, she smiled, no doubt,/Whene’er I
II.
The Duke sees himself as a powerful
passed her, but who passed without/
God-like man who tames wild things.
Much the same smile?” (lines 42–45)
III.
The Duke collects objects, of which
(B)
“. . . I repeat/ The Count your
master’s known munificence/ Is
the Duchess was one.
ample warrant that no one just
(A)
I only
pretense/ Of mine for dowry will be
(B)
II only
disallowed;” (lines 48–51)
(C)
III only
(C)
“. . . She thanked men—good! but
(D) I and III
thanked/ Somehow—I know not
(E)
II and III
how—as if she ranked/My gift of a
nine-hundred-years-old name/With
16.
How does the author convey the meaning
anybody’s gift.” (lines 31–34)
of the poem?
(D) “A heart—how shall I say?—too soon
(A)
Through monologue
made glad,/Too easily impressed; she
(B)
Through dialogue
liked whate’er/She looked on, and her
(C)
Through control of language and
looks went everywhere./Sir, ‘twas all
images
one!” (lines 22–25)
(D) Through the use of concrete images
(E)
“. . . Sir, ‘twas not/Her husband’s pres-
(E)
Through character development
ence only, called that spot/Of joy into
the Duchess’ cheek” (lines 13–15)
17.
The author invites the reader to make
inferences about all of the following
EXCEPT
(A)
what the Duke wanted stopped.
(B)
the Duke’s character.
(C)
the Duchess’ personality.
(D) the details of setting and situation.
(E)
the cause of the Duchess’ demise.
➡GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE
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18.
Using his unique skills, what is the poet
20.
All of the following adjectives describe
trying to inspire in the reader?
both the Duke’s character and the charac-
ter of the Renaissance EXCEPT
(A)
Antipathy for the Duke
(B)
Sympathy for the Duchess
(A)
sinister.
(C)
Imaginative participation
(B)
clever.
(D) A knowledge of the use of imagery in
(C)
powerful.
poetry
(D) sophisticated.
(E)
An appreciation for the uses of power
(E)
self-involved.
by the privileged
21.
If the Duke were to talk about himself,
19.
Which of the following best represents the
which of the following statements would
he be most likely to make?
key oppositions in the poem?
I.
The evil Duke vs. the good Duchess
(A)
I am a Renaissance man.
(B)
I like to collect objects of art.
II.
The dead Duchess vs. the “alive”
portrait
(C)
I destroy what I cannot control.
(D) My 900-year-old name is a rare and
III.
The alive Duke vs. the dead (soulless)
precious gift.
Duke
(E)
I discard that which does not please
me.
(D) I and II
(E)
I, II, and III