“The Lost Mistress’ by Robert Browning is one of his most acclaimed
dramatic monologues. In this poem, Browning works out the intricacy
of the thoughts and emotions of a rejected lover, who has lost his
beloved to another; revealing the shift in their relationship.
The poem has an abrupt and critical beginning. It begins with an
ending - ‘All’s over then’. By not telling us more than the ending of
their relationship, Browning puts our focus solely upon the present
moment. This intrigues and engages the reader.
We understand that at first, the reality of their relationship ending was
bitter for the speaker. However, instead of asking her to reconsider; he
negotiates with himself, looking for a way to replace the bitterness of
truth. This pausing to think of bitterness opens the door to the
movement through the remainder of the poem.
His attention is drawn to the twittering of the sparrows around the
cottage as dusk settles in. Although he mentions this to his beloved, it
serves as reassurance to him. The sparrows are going to sleep now,
just as their romantic relationship comes to an end. However, they
shall wake up in the morning, and he wonders whether they could
begin a new relationship - one as friends.
He cites the example of leaf-buds turning to flowers, and how over
time those beautiful flowers wilt and wither. Through the allusion of
greying of flowers, the lover is trying to convey the message that this
is the cycle of nature. However, just as winter takes away the
liveliness of nature, spring rejuvenates beauty. In the same way, their
now dead romantic relationship can assume a new form - one of
friendship. We can see the lover, although reluctantly, is willing to let
go of the romantic relationship but not the woman.
, In the third stanza he begins to negotiate his situation to find a more
enduring relationship - and the answer happens to be friendship.
There is no bitterness here nor does he ask her to reconsider her
decision. He innocently asks her if they would meet the next day and if
she would let him hold her hand as friends. He is resigned to
friendship, accepting any form of relationship she will allow him. These
lines are representative of his resignation and growing optimism.
He wishes to offer her back each glance she shared with him with her
bright and black eyes and the sound of her voice when she desired
snowdrops. And yet, even if he were to return these to her; they would
still remain etched in his heart and soul. She has already bestowed
something upon him which she cannot retrieve. He is aware that this
token of love, which shall remain with him, will be a liability in a
possible friendship in the future. We can sense some transgression
here, as he shifts from optimism in the previous stanza to fondly
reminiscing their moments together and realising that he shall never
truly be rid of them.
Yet, he returns to his optimistic outlook and hopes he can hold her
hand and talk to her as mere friends would. However, there does
linger a flicker of hope in the lines “Or only a thought stronger//Or so
very little longer”. We do see evidence of this in the first and second
stanza; he told her about sparrows and flowers which mere friends
would say - yet what he said was ‘a thought stronger’. Even though he
is resigned to being friends and would not pressurise her, he harbours
some hope and optimism for their relationship to blossom into
something stronger. He is all too aware that even if they remain
friends, the tokens of their relationship will always linger in their minds;
unerased.
dramatic monologues. In this poem, Browning works out the intricacy
of the thoughts and emotions of a rejected lover, who has lost his
beloved to another; revealing the shift in their relationship.
The poem has an abrupt and critical beginning. It begins with an
ending - ‘All’s over then’. By not telling us more than the ending of
their relationship, Browning puts our focus solely upon the present
moment. This intrigues and engages the reader.
We understand that at first, the reality of their relationship ending was
bitter for the speaker. However, instead of asking her to reconsider; he
negotiates with himself, looking for a way to replace the bitterness of
truth. This pausing to think of bitterness opens the door to the
movement through the remainder of the poem.
His attention is drawn to the twittering of the sparrows around the
cottage as dusk settles in. Although he mentions this to his beloved, it
serves as reassurance to him. The sparrows are going to sleep now,
just as their romantic relationship comes to an end. However, they
shall wake up in the morning, and he wonders whether they could
begin a new relationship - one as friends.
He cites the example of leaf-buds turning to flowers, and how over
time those beautiful flowers wilt and wither. Through the allusion of
greying of flowers, the lover is trying to convey the message that this
is the cycle of nature. However, just as winter takes away the
liveliness of nature, spring rejuvenates beauty. In the same way, their
now dead romantic relationship can assume a new form - one of
friendship. We can see the lover, although reluctantly, is willing to let
go of the romantic relationship but not the woman.
, In the third stanza he begins to negotiate his situation to find a more
enduring relationship - and the answer happens to be friendship.
There is no bitterness here nor does he ask her to reconsider her
decision. He innocently asks her if they would meet the next day and if
she would let him hold her hand as friends. He is resigned to
friendship, accepting any form of relationship she will allow him. These
lines are representative of his resignation and growing optimism.
He wishes to offer her back each glance she shared with him with her
bright and black eyes and the sound of her voice when she desired
snowdrops. And yet, even if he were to return these to her; they would
still remain etched in his heart and soul. She has already bestowed
something upon him which she cannot retrieve. He is aware that this
token of love, which shall remain with him, will be a liability in a
possible friendship in the future. We can sense some transgression
here, as he shifts from optimism in the previous stanza to fondly
reminiscing their moments together and realising that he shall never
truly be rid of them.
Yet, he returns to his optimistic outlook and hopes he can hold her
hand and talk to her as mere friends would. However, there does
linger a flicker of hope in the lines “Or only a thought stronger//Or so
very little longer”. We do see evidence of this in the first and second
stanza; he told her about sparrows and flowers which mere friends
would say - yet what he said was ‘a thought stronger’. Even though he
is resigned to being friends and would not pressurise her, he harbours
some hope and optimism for their relationship to blossom into
something stronger. He is all too aware that even if they remain
friends, the tokens of their relationship will always linger in their minds;
unerased.
