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Shvoong Home>Books>Poetry>Review on “the Last Ride Together” by Robert Browning Review

Review on “the Last Ride Together” by Robert Browning

Book Review   by:akso6o175     Original Author: Andy Kester Sawian
  • Summary rating: 4 stars (28 Ratings)
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Robert Browning is difficult to a certain extent, demanding a degree of intellectual exertion on the part of the reader. His poetry is also characterized by a certain deliberate roughness reminiscent of the metaphysical poets. His poems are greatly concerned with human character and reflect an attraction towards the bizarre, the unusual and the eccentric. His poems are also dramatic and are concerned with Renaissance themes. The most important qualities pervading Browning’s works are his robust optimism and spiritual courage. The narrator told his lover the fact of the matter that it is so and now at length he knows his fate, nothing to all his love avails and his life is meant to accept failure. This was written in his stars and all must need be that his whole heart rises up to bless her name in pride and thankfulness. He asked her to take back the hope she gave for he claimed only a memory of the same and besides this if she would not blame her leave for one more last ride with him. His mistress bent that brow of hers and those dark eyes where pride demurs; lingers; when pity would be softening through, fixed him with a breathing-while or two with life or death in the balance.
The blood replenished; revitalized; him again and his last thoughts was at least not in vain. He and his mistress would sit side by side and together they would breathe and ride. So one more day would he be deified; become a god, i.e. achieved the supreme goal; who knows but the world may end tonight. If she would see some western cloud all billowy-bosomed; with gentle curves; over bowed by many benedictions; blessings; of the sun’s, the moon’s and evening stars at once, she would looked and loved best as her conscious grew, her passion drew closer to the cloud, sunset, moonrise and star-shine too. Right down near to her, till her flesh must fade for heaven was there. She leant and lingered for joy and fear and she laid for a moment on his breast. Ultimately they began the ride and his soul smoothed herself out-a long-cramped scroll; parchment kept rolled up for a long period- freshening and fluttering in the wind. Past hopes were already laid behind and there was no need to strive with a life’s awry; gone wrong; had he said that or had he done this, so might he gain or so might he miss. She might have love or hated him. No one could tell as to where he had been now if the worst befell but here they are both of them riding together.
As they rode, it seemed that his spirit flew and saw other regions and new cities. As the world rushed on either side, he thought all labour bore up beneath their failure. Look at the end of work, contrast between the petty done and the vast undone. This present of theirs with a hopeful past, he hoped that she would love him as they ride. Their hands and brains went paired as much as their hearts alike conceived and dared. He saw her bosom heave and the many crowns that were hard to reach. There were ten lines in each of the statesman’s life, the flag that was stuck on a heap of bones or what atones a soldier’s doing? They scratch his name on the Abbey-stones; a memorial tablet at Westminster Abbey. This honour is usually given to distinguished people like the heroic soldier mentioned earlier in the poem; but the lover’s riding was better than their leave.
His brains beat into rhythm, he spoke what he felt and held things that were beautifully the best. He paced them in rhyme side by side if he should be poor, sick or old before his time. Nearer one whit his own sublime; even a little bit nearer to his sublime ideal; than they who had never turned a rhyme as they sang and riding together for joy. She was like a great sculptor; not exactly identifiable since many medieval sculptors carved out statues of Venus-the ideal of feminine beauty; this a sole praise from a friend which greatly intends his opera’s strains. They turn to yonder girl that fords the burn of her; acquiesce; agree; and he would repine; express dejection. In music they know how fashions end, he gave his youth but they rode in fine together.
Fate proposed that bliss should sublimate his being there and one must lead some life beyond. To have bliss to die with, dim-descried; dimly observed as from afar; whose foot once planted on the goal. The glory-garland round his soul could he descry yet sunk back shuddering from the quest. Earth would be good but Heaven would be best for she was beyond this ride. She hardly spoke yet if Heaven would be fair and strong with their eyes upturned, whither life’s flower is discerned as they headed to eternity, Heaven just proved that both of them rode together undisturbed.

Published: October 08, 2010   
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  1. Answer   Question  :    summery of the last ride together View All
  1. Answer   Question  :    plz analyse stanza no 3 of this poem and explain it View All
  1. Answer   Question  :    ANALYSIS OF STANZA 9 IN THE POEM View All
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