Victorian Poetry

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Victorian Poetry

Excerpt from Tennyson's Ulysses

The Great Exhibition

Why would it be difficult to find Victorian poems that are very positive about the industrial revolution?

Child Labour

In this poem the entire text is spoken by a single character whose words reveal his identity. What is this poetic device called?

Who is Tithonus and to whom is he speaking?

Who is the speaker and to whom is he speaking?

What does the description of the last Duchess’ behavior in lines 25-31 reveal about her?

1. She was friendly and kind to everyone she met.
2. She kept a proper distance from people of lower rank.
3. She preferred other people’s company to her husband’s.
4. She purposely acted in a way that irritated her husband.

What does the phrase “some officious fool” reveal about the Duke’s attitude towards his wife’s admirers? (Line 27)

1. He is amused by them.
2. He is unaware of them.
3. He is intimidated by them.
4. He is contemptuous of them.

“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.”
What do these lines reveal about the way the Duchess’ behavior affected the Duke? (Lines 31-34)

1. His heart was broken because he realized that she loved another man.
2. His reputation was ruined because his court knew she was unfaithful.
3. His pride was wounded because she did not regard him as superior.
4. His love grew because he admired her kindness and generosity.

As used in lines 42-43, what does the word “stoop” mean?

1. to lower oneself
2. to instruct someone
3. to flirt with someone
4. to change one’s mind

How does the enjambment between lines 46-47 affect the meaning of these lines?

1. It emphasizes the phrase “There she stands,” showing how the Duke is haunted by her memory.
2. It demonstrates the strained, jerky way the Duke speaks, showing readers how nervous he is.
3. It emphasizes the phrase “As if alive,” alerting readers to the Duchess’s death.
4. It allows the poet to maintain the rhythm and rhyme scheme of the poem.

What effect do lines 49-54 have on the mood of this poem?

1. They create a melancholy mood by reminding readers of the Duke’s lost love.
2. They create a hopeful mood by foreshadowing a new love for the lonely Duke.
3. They create an ominous mood by indicating that the murderous Duke seeks to marry again.
4. They create a celebratory mood by indicating that there may be a wedding in the near future.

Why does the Duke most likely point out his statue of “Neptune... Taming a sea-horse” to his visitor? (Lines 54-55)

1. to impress the Count’s servant with his ability to purchase expensive art
2. to emphasize the control he expects to exert over his second wife
3. to make himself appear sophisticated and well-educated
4. to distract from his accidental admission of wrongdoing

Which statement best summarizes the plot of the poem?

1. The Duke becomes so emotional looking at his last wife’s portrait that it is clear he is still grieving and not ready to marry again.
2. The Duke’s last wife offended his sense of self-importance with her friendliness to others, eventually resulting in her untimely death.
3. The Duke’s last wife was disloyal, so he meets with the Count’s servant in order to stress how important it is that his next wife be faithful to him.
4. The Duke’s last wife vanished under mysterious circumstances, so the Count takes extra precautions before approving the Duke’s marriage to his daughter.

What poetic device is used throughout the poem?

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What is the poem's subject?

Name two metaphors the poet uses in this poem.

Name two similes the poet uses in the poem.

Surviving a day in the Victorian Era