Dramatic Monologue Essay

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Dramatic Monologue Dramatic monologues became popular thanks to the poet Robert Browning. Browning’s poem, The Last Duchess is known as one of the most famous monologues of all time. The definition of a dramatic monologue according to the English dictionary is: “a poem written in the form of a speech by an individual character”. It is usually written in the form of a speech, most likely to be one sided; it addresses another silent character who most of the time is just listening. Not to be confused with a soliloquy, that is literally a character speaking to his or herself. Dramatic monologues also have some characteristics of lyric poetry, in terms of rhyme and emotion but lyric poetry is more songlike. At times it can be a dramatic dialogue, when it becomes a conversation between two individuals. Most times a dramatic monologue is in the first person, and share’s this particular person’s point of view. Dramatic monologues are known for what the name implies drama, a situation that is problematic or conflicted. This speech can imply many things, a confession of some sort, it can carry dark undertones, personal feelings, and it is full of irony, it can also be written as a satire. These characteristics make up a dramatic monologue. They are useful to this type of writing because it builds up the story. It makes it interesting to the reader, it draws attention and let’s be honest, and who does not like drama? Another of Browning’s dramatic monologues is “Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister”. It is about a monk’s life in a Spanish monastery, I am assuming Spain because of the title. The word cloister means enclosed, and soliloquy: “to speak to oneself”, and solo means alone. All this according to the dictionary, the title of the poem reveals that it is set in an enclosed environment and perhaps about someone being lonely, almost trapped, and claustrophobic almost.
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