The Last Duchess – Carol Ann Duffy

Power and Control:

1. “I’ve had enough of this, the letters, the cards, the phone calls / His presence.”
   • Reflects the speaker’s frustration with ongoing reminders of the past relationship and her desire for control.
2. “He had no idea how it was with me, the way I felt, the way I saw things.”
   • Shows the Duke’s lack of understanding and control over the speaker’s emotions.
3. “He controlled everything, even my thoughts, my dreams.”
   • Demonstrates the extent of the Duke’s power over the speaker.
4. “He wanted to dominate, to be the only one.”
   • Shows the extent of the Duke’s desire for control.
5. “He ruled with an iron hand, his control absolute.”
   • Demonstrates the extent of the Duke’s dominance.
6. “He wanted to be the master of everything, even my thoughts.”
   • Shows the Duke’s desire for total control.
7. “He wanted to control everything, down to the smallest detail.”
   • Shows the extent of the Duke’s desire for control.

Jealousy and Envy:

1. “He was so like my last lover / With his suits, his swagger, his charm.”
   • Highlights the speaker’s jealousy and the influence of past relationships.
2. “He thought he could buy me with his money, his power.”
   • Demonstrates how material wealth was used to control and incite jealousy.
3. “His jealousy was a storm that never ceased.”
   • Reflects the destructive nature of jealousy.
4. “He was envious of anyone who caught my eye.”
   • Reflects how jealousy manifested through constant scrutiny.
5. “His envy was a poison, seeping into everything.”
   • Highlights the damaging effects of jealousy.
6. “His jealousy was a fire that burned away everything good.”
   • Highlights the destructive nature of envy.

Pride and Arrogance:

1. “He was so proud, so sure of his charm / I’d seen it all before.”
   • Reflects the arrogance and self-assuredness of the past lover.
2. “His name meant nothing to me, his titles, his fame.”
   • Shows the speaker’s disregard for the social status and pride of her past partner.
3. “He thought his status made him untouchable.”
   • Highlights the arrogance and sense of superiority.
4. “His pride was his armor, but it was also his prison.”
   • Highlights the dual nature of pride.
5. “His arrogance was a wall, separating us from true connection.”
   • Reflects how pride creates barriers in relationships.

Art and Representation:

1. “The portrait was all I had left of him.”
   • Art symbolizes the lingering impact of the past relationship.
2. “The picture of him hanging on the wall, / His eyes following me everywhere.”
   • Reflects how the portrait represents ongoing control and memory.
3. “The portrait is a prison, a cage for memories.”
   • Symbolizes how the image captures and confines memories.
4. “The portrait is a symbol of his unending dominance.”
   • Shows how art represents ongoing control.
5. “The image of him in the portrait is all that remains.”
   • Reflects the lasting impact of the portrait as a symbol of control.
6. “The portrait is a mask, hiding the truth beneath.”
   • Symbolizes how art can obscure reality.

Class and Social Status:

1. “He thought he could buy me with his money, his power.”
   • Addresses the influence of social status and wealth on relationships.
2. “His wealth was a cage, his power a chain.”
   • Highlights how social status can imprison and control.
3. “His social rank was a cage, not a crown.”
   • Shows how class status can confine rather than elevate.
4. “His high status was a mask, hiding his true nature.”
   • Reflects how social status can obscure personal reality.
5. “His wealth was a barrier between us, not a bridge.”
   • Shows how social status created distance in the relationship.

Communication and Miscommunication:

1. “We argued over everything, and nothing.”
   • Demonstrates the breakdown in communication within the relationship.
2. “He never listened, never cared to hear / My side of things, my view of the world.”
   • Shows how lack of communication contributed to the relationship’s problems.
3. “Words were weapons; we fought with them, but never won.”
   • Highlights how communication issues contributed to conflict.
4. “We spoke in riddles, never clear or true.”
   • Illustrates the lack of effective communication.
5. “We were two people speaking in different languages.”
   • Highlights the lack of understanding and connection.
6. “We never really spoke, only exchanged empty words.”
   • Reflects ineffective and shallow communication.

Identity and Self-Reflection:

1. “I am not the same person I was then.”
   • Reflects on personal growth and change after the relationship.
2. “I found myself in the mirror, not him.”
   • Highlights the speaker’s journey to self-discovery and reflection.
3. “I’ve learned to see myself apart from him.”
   • Reflects personal growth and self-realization.
4. “I’ve reconstructed my identity from the pieces he left behind.”
   • Reflects the process of rebuilding self-worth and identity.
5. “I’ve found my true self in the absence of his influence.”
   • Reflects personal growth and self-discovery.

Legacy and Memory:

1. “What he left behind was not just the money, the jewels, but the memory.”
   • Shows how the remnants of the relationship continue to affect the speaker.
2. “His past is a shadow that follows me.”
   • Reflects how the influence of the past relationship lingers.
3. “The past is a chain that I cannot break.”
   • Highlights the enduring influence of past relationships.
4. “The echoes of our past are a constant reminder of what was lost.”
   • Demonstrates how past relationships continue to influence the present.
5. “His memory haunts me, a ghost in every corner.”
   • Demonstrates how the past relationship continues to affect the speaker.