Question : Essay-type
Discuss Browning as a writer of dramatic monologues.
Introduction
Browning will be always remembered for imposing a dramatic pattern on lyrical poetry. He is a creator of a special genre of poetry known as dramatic monologue. In short, in a dramatic monologue a soul’s story is told in an episode of an hour. where the speaker speaks and addresses his arguments to another person who generally keeps silent.
Three Major Achievements Of Browning
‘Andrea del Sarto‘, ‘Rabbi ben Ezra‘ and ‘A Grammarian’s Funeral‘ are the remarkable achievements of Browning.
First, ‘Andrea del Sarto‘ fits into the definition of the dramatic monologue. Its speaker is Andrea, the faultless painter of Italy. The silent listener is Lucrezia, his wife, Andrea reveals his mind. He expresses his own idea about art and life. He also tells us about his pathetic plight. The opening of the dramatic monologue of Browning is often abrupt but highly attractive—
“But do not let us quarrel any more,
No, my Lucrezia, bear with me for once.”
Soon we learn that Lucrezia is outside the house and Andrea requests her to come in the house. Her lover is waiting in the darkness. This is an interesting beginning.
In ‘Andrea del Sarto‘ Browning analysis the mind of the painter. He is a great painter but he is not satisfied in mind and also he is not satisfied to his wife’s love. Here Browning’s dramatic monologues have love interest and lyrical quality.’Andrea del Sarto‘ too has love interest.
The love here is both physical and spiritual. Andrea praises the beauty of Lucrezia. Lucrezia deserts Andrea for her interest in her cousin who is a gambler. Andrea ironically asks Lucrezia what her cousin gives to win her love. This is a reference to physical love. However, Andrea’s love for Lucrezia is spiritual too.
According to some critics, Browning’s dramatic monologues are satirical, but Browning’s ‘Andrea del Sarto’ too is not satirical. It is just the story of the pathetic plight of Andrea, Lucrezia and her lover are just mentioned as bad characters but not satirized.
‘Rabbi ben Ezra‘ is also full of dramatic monologue. Here he speaks with God who planned man’s life as one whole. He (God) provides all his creatures with the basic necessities of life. He is the Giver and We are the Receiver. Happiness or sorrow, fortune or misfortune everything that come to us from God. We should greet the the joyful and painful.
‘A Grammarian’s Funeral‘ is also a fine example of dramatic monologue where a speaker, one of disciples of the dead grammarian, praises him (the dead grammarian who dedicates his whole for the cause of learning) in loud words while the passive listeners include the readers or the other disciples who are carrying the corpse of the grammarian to bury him on the mountain top do not respond what he says. They just listen.
Conclusion
So we find that these poems are full of dramatic monologues. The poetry ‘Rabbi ben Ezra‘ has ranked itself among the best known dramatic monologues of Browning.
