Question

What poetic device is exemplified by the repetition of vowel sounds in Browning’s “My Last Duchess”?

• A. Consonance
• B. Assonance
• C. Alliteration
• D. Caesura

Answer 1

Answer:

B. Assonance

Assonance refers to the repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words. In the lines:

“That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall, / Looking as if she were alive. I call”
Browning repeats short and long ‘A’ and ‘O’ sounds, which adds a lulling, musical quality to the poem. This subtle use draws the reader in, making the Duke’s speech sound deceptively calm and controlled, enhancing the irony of his sinister intent.