Robert Browning's poem, "The Last Ride Together” Robert Robert Browning's poem, "The Last Ride Togethe Together, r, " is one of the greatest love poems ever written. Browning's Browning's choice of words in this poem depict a sincere, honest, and deep love; a love that must be trul e!perienced to be nown. This poem reall puts feelings and emotions emotions into words in was that are rarel seen. The words flow together and tell one of the best love stories ever told. #n the second stan$a, the following words of Browning's, "% last thought was at least not vain& # and m mistress, side b side hall be together, breathe and ride, o, one da more am # deified. (ho nows but the world ma end to)night*" to)night*" clearl clearl shows the depth of his love. +e trul treasures treasures ever da he has with the woman he loves and wants it to go on forever. +e wants them to be together for as man das of their lives as the possibl can. +e reali$es that ever da might be the last and nows how important it is to mae the most of all of the time the have together. +e was thanful for ever da that his special woman was b his side. The fourth stan$a of Browning's poem shows his own analsis of his life and the different stages he has been through. The past was histor, histor, the past when he had merel hoped the love of his dreams would love him bac. +e seemed to now how important it was to focus on the present because the length of the future was not nown. "ail # alone, in words and deeds* (h, all men strive and who succeeds* (e rode; it seem'd m spirit flew, aw other regions, cities new, -s the world rush'd b on either side. # thought,)-ll labour, et no less Bear up beneath their unsuccess. Loo at the end of wor, contrast The pett done, the undone vast, This present of theirs with the hopeful past # hoped she would love me; here we ride." #n this stan$a, Browning also e!plores the idea of success and what it means. +e compares both life and love as a /ourne, a /ourne with ups and downs lie a ver long ride. +e is thanful that he has a woman b his side, who means a great deal to him, to share this ride with. The following words in the seventh stan$a, "0our brains beat into rhthm, ou tell (hat we felt onl; ou e!press'd 0ou hold things beautiful the best, -nd pace them in rhme so, side b side," describe what it is lie to have a partner in life, a true soul mate. mate. These words words paint the best picture picture possible for those those who have not et e!perienced e!perienced it themselves. The final stan$a includes the following words, "(hat if we still ride on, we two (ith life degree for ever old et new, 1hanged not in ind but in degree, The instant made eternit,) -nd heaven /ust prove that # and she Ride, ride together, for ever ride*" (ith these words, Browning indicates that getting older does not change a strong love, rather over time, it becomes stronger and intensifies. This ride goes on forever even when mortal life is over, although it's ver hard to imagine while living. The Last Ride Together Together indicates that life is a long /ourne that is best plaed out with a special love. eeing ever da as our last can reall put a new perspective on everda e!periences and life in general. #t's important to not tae an time for granted and to cherish those ou love ever da.
Robert Browning is difficult to a certain e!tent, demanding a degree of intellectual e!ertion on the part of the reader. +is poetr is also characteri$ed b a certain deliberate roughness reminiscent of the metaphsical poets. +is poems are greatl concerned with human character and reflect an attraction towards the bi$arre, the unusual and the eccentric. +is poems are also dramatic and are concerned with Renaissance themes. The most important 2ualities pervading Browning3s wors 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 nows 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 thanfulness. +e ased her to tae bac the hope she gave for he claimed onl a memor of the same and besides this if she would not blame her leave for one more last ride with him. +is mistress bent that brow of hers and those dar ees where pride demurs; lingers; when pit would be softening through, fi!ed him with a breathing)while or two with life or death in the balance. The blood replenished; revitali$ed; him again and his last thoughts was at least not in vain. +e and his mistress would sit side b side and together the would breathe and ride. o one more da would he be deified; become a god, i.e. achieved the supreme goal; who nows but the world ma end tonight. #f she would see some western cloud all billow)bosomed; with gentle curves; over bowed b man benedictions; blessings; of the sun3s, the moon3s and evening stars at once, she would looed 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. he leant and lingered for /o and fear and she laid for a moment on his breast. 4ltimatel the began the ride and his soul smoothed herself out)a long)cramped scroll; parchment ept rolled up for a long period) freshening and fluttering in the wind. 5ast hopes were alread laid behind and there was no need to strive with a life3s awr; gone wrong; had he said that or had he done this, so might he gain or so might he miss. he might have love or hated him. 6o one could tell as to where he had been now if the worst befell but here the are both of them riding together. -s the rode, it seemed that his spirit flew and saw other regions and new cities. -s the world rushed on either side, he thought all labour bore up beneath their failure. Loo at the end of wor, contrast between the pett done and the vast undone. This present of theirs with a hopeful past, he hoped that she would love him as the ride. Their hands and brains went paired as much as their hearts alie conceived and dared. +e saw her bosom heave and the man crowns that were hard to reach. There were ten lines in each of the statesman3s life, the flag that was stuc on a heap of bones or what atones a soldier3s doing* The scratch his name on the -bbe)stones; a memorial tablet at (estminster -bbe. This honour is usuall given to distinguished people lie the heroic soldier mentioned earlier in the poem; but the lover3s riding was better than their leave. +is brains beat into rhthm, he spoe what he felt and held things that were beautifull the best. +e paced them in rhme side b side if he should be poor, sic or old before his time. 6earer one whit his own sublime; even a little bit nearer to his sublime ideal; than the who had never turned a rhme as the sang and riding together for /o. he was lie a great sculptor; not e!actl identifiable since man medieval sculptors carved out statues of 7enus)the ideal of feminine beaut; this a sole praise from a friend which greatl intends his opera3s strains. The turn to onder girl that fords the burn of her; ac2uiesce; agree; and he would repine; e!press de/ection. #n music the now how fashions end, he gave his outh but the rode in fine together. ate proposed that bliss should sublimate his being there and one must lead some life beond. To have bliss to die with, dim)descried; diml observed as from afar; whose foot once planted on the goal. The glor)garland round his soul could he descr et sun bac shuddering from the 2uest. 8arth would be good but +eaven would be best for she was beond this ride. he hardl spoe et if +eaven would be fair and strong with their ees upturned, whither life3s flower is discerned as the headed to eternit, +eaven /ust proved that both of them rode together undisturbed.
#ntroduction& This is a dramatic monologue b Robert Browning. This poem is about a man 9who is the speaer: who ass his mistress 9 who seems to be the listener but the listener could be ambiguous: for one last ride and she agrees to one last ride together. Language in the poem seems to suggests that he is ding and this is his last wish or that he feels he can't live with out his mistress. the lines are in an aa,bb,c,dd,eee,c rhme scheme. 5art of the men and women collection and Browing refers to art and love in the poem which is one of his intentions to e!plore.
The Rapture of a Re/ected Lover& The Last Ride Together." The rapture of a re/ected lover in the one more last ride which he ass for and obtains, discovers for him the all)sufficing glor of love in itself. oldiership, statesmanship, art are disproportionate in their results; love can be its own reward, es, heaven itself.
- 7#7# TR8-T%86T of the 5-T& "Last Ride Together" contains a vivid treatment of the past in stan$as < and = "(h, all men strive and who succeeds*" ; "There's man a crown for who can reach. Ten lines, a statesman's life in each" and adds, in stan$as > and ?, the activities of poets and artists @ these pursuits, arguabl noble though the are, can amount to wasting one's life from the standpoint of personal, romantic gratification "-re ou @ poor, sic, old ere our time @ 6earer one whit our own sublime Than we who have never turned a rhme*" +owever, the speaer cannot even tae comfort in the realit of present love and so must confine himself even more firml in the /os of the present ) a ride with his beloved ) enough to forget that nothing durable lies beond them. Thus this speaer e2uates the "hope" 9l.?: he used to have of love with all the follies of soldiers and artists; all amount to nothing but idealism and hubris. The poem, however, does end on a note of possible optimism, with the speaer contemplating the idea of a heaven consisting of the ephemeral /os of this ride stretched out over all eternit. #rrelevance of the 5-T& AThe Last Ride Together” maes profound statements concerning the irrelevance of the past in relation to present emotions and sentiments. %ore specificall, Browning discusses hopes that have not been fulfilled, and places them in direct contrast to present circumstances. B revealing the idea that sentiments and events of the past often have
little effect on future outcomes, Browning suggests that life should not involve dwelling on the past or hoping for the future, but living in the moment. The 1ontrast between the 5ast and the 5resent& The narrator of AThe Last Ride Together” presents the contrast between past and present when he sas Acontrast The pett done, the undone vast, This present of theirs with the hopeful past # hoped she would love me; here we ride” #n this case, the hopes of the narrator that his love would be reciprocated have obviousl not been reali$ed, as the couple now rides together for the last time. #n the fourth stan$a, he writes A5ast hopes alread la behind. (hat need to strive with a life awr* %ight she have loved me* Cust as well he might have hated, who can tell” +ere the narrator conves the idea that his hopes and his actions of the past have been useless in leading up to the state of the present, and also sas that his soul has been liberated b letting go of the hopes of the past, thus further suggesting the negativit of hopes. These two passages are indicative of the overall tone of this poem. The narrator wants to forget the past and an ill)advised hopes or ideas he had, and focus on the pure emotions of the moment provided b the ride. 1onclusion& Thus through this poem, Browning e!presses the view that, the past is insignificant, and that one need onl live in the moment in order to pursue happiness in life. The /u!tapositions of cit and ruins, hope for love and a last ride together, both illustrate this idea dramaticall. Dne can learn not to loo bac on what one hoped for, but onl to loo forward at what one has.
