Dramatic Monologue:
- (lengthy) speech by a single speaker
- speaker--not the poet--utters a speech that is the basis of the poem
- speaker addresses one or more persons (we learn about them from the speaker)
- speaker reveals his temperament and character
But let's also consider the "drama" in dramatic.
Dramatic monologue emphasizes the element of performance--how through words (language) speakers create identity through creative and destructive acts and/or transform situations: his or her situation, his or her self, and his or her listener (reader).
An important idea here is how dramantic monologues, then, are performative in
that they are not describing what has happened or preexisting conditions.
Rather, they "bring into being" (transformation--creation/destruction)
characters, actions, and the world they discuss. They accomplish
something, not just assert something.
The faultless painter
- His lack of ambition and identity as a "craftsman" (vs artist)--Man's reach should exceed his grasp
- His relationship with his wife--opening and ending of the poem. Views her in idealized terms?
Oppositions in the poem enhance the conflict
- summer/autumn
- twilight/darkness
- youth/age
- past/present
- heaven/earth
- hope/failure
Emphasis on "grayness"
- The poem is almost between a dramatic monologue and soliloquy.
- Andrea tries to come to terms with his present situation.
- Blames his wife in part, but how much responsibility lies with his own character?