When I began reading Poetry it was a challenge but upon learning some techniques from the martial “How to read a poem”.
What stood out to me was the reassurance that poems are ment to be read multiple times and having in correct assumptions on the first or second read is normal “The first is assuming that they should understand what they encounter on the first reading” , reading the poem out loud in order to hear any rhymes or clusters of sound, I also learned that each broken line in a poem is called a stanza and I learned how important it is to ask the questions in order to properly interpret the poem. I feel as thought when first reading my last duchess, it was a bit of a challenge and with the classes input I was able to fully comprehend the poem in it’s totality. In regard to both “The last duchess” and “Oedipus the king” there are some similarities one example is the themes of power and control. In my last duchess the duke is possessive and controlling. Seeing his late wife as an object or possession to be admired, instead of an individual with autonomy. “She had / A heart—how shall I say?—too soon made glad, / Too easily impressed.”(Stance 21) and in Oedipus the King, Oedipus held significant power as king.
2 thoughts on “Khrystal Rivera – discussion 7”
I really liked how you tied together the themes of power and control in both The Last Duchess and Oedipus the King. It’s crazy how both characters, the Duke and Oedipus, are driven by their need for control, but in different ways. The Duke’s possessiveness over his wife, treating her like an object, really shows how power can make someone blind to others’ autonomy. You also did a great job of reflecting on how reading poetry takes time to fully understand. I agree that reading a poem multiple times and asking the right questions really helps uncover its deeper meaning.
I totally get what you mean. When I first dove into poetry, it was rough too, but once I got the hang of reading it multiple times, it became way easier to understand. The idea of reading aloud to catch those sounds or patterns was a game-changer for me as well. And you’re right about stanzas! I didn’t even realize how important they were until I really started paying attention.
I think it’s interesting how both My Last Duchess and Oedipus the King deal with power and control. The Duke is all about having control over his wife, like she’s property. That line you quoted shows how he didn’t see her as a person, but as something to be admired in a placeholder position until the next woman steps in to replace her. Oedipus is a similar character in terms of control, but his downfall is a bit different. Both lead to some pretty tragic outcomes though.