“My Last Duchess” and “The Laboratory” are two very different but similar poems written by Robert Browning over the span of three years. In this essay I will carefully consider the techniques, language, and imagery that Browning uses in these two poems. I will also compare the two poems together and how Browning creates the character's voice and character in each poem. My Last Duchess was written by Robert Browning in 1842. The poem is a dramatic monologue. The poem flows as there are mid-line pauses (caesura) rather than the poem stopping at the end of each line. I think this is intended by Browning to make the poem flow more easily. The poem begins with the Duke simply showing off his art collection and various works to his emissary. Then he comes to a realistic portrait of his wife who is now dead. In my opinion the Duke remembers it as nothing less than a work of art created on his orders. This is a general pattern throughout the poem where the Duke sees himself as the most prestigious man who ever lived. He believes that men are the dominant race over women. It is a complete picture of the sexism of its time. Browning keeps some of the imagery vague in the poem. I believe this is to give the reader of the poem the opportunity to reflect on the Duke's attitude. One might perhaps say that he has a flirtatious wife who treasures the gifts of others as she treats those of the Duke. One might suggest that she may have had affairs with these other men, but Browning leaves this to our imagination. I believe the Duke is an unstable man whose jealousy pushes him to the limit to finish off his wife. He believes total control came naturally to him. Let's move on to the Laboratory. ...... middle of the paper ...... the reader thinks about the poem in any way they like. Likewise with “My Last Duchess” Robert Browning deliberately leaves some texts vague but others vivid to pose questions to the reader. He uses many metaphors in both poems. I think this is again for the same reason mentioned before. He's definitely trying to give the reader a thought, but abruptly leaves the thought for us to imagine. In my opinion this pattern is very frequent in both poems. To come to my conclusion, all of these techniques work very well together in both poems to bring to life some of the greatest poems of his time. These two poems are particularly recognized for the language, imagery, and techniques the poet uses to create a feeling of jealousy and disgust at the reactions of both the Duke in “My Last Duchess” and the Woman in “The Laboratory”..”