Before Reading "My Last Dutchess"
Determine Purpose
In "My Last Duchess," a duke is speaking to an agent who is negotiating his last marriage. As you know, a character can be developed through a speaker's words and actions. As you read, try to determine what kind of person the duke was.
During Reading
Read with a Purpose in Mind
1. Listen as your teacher reads through the monologue once. Write your initial impressions of the duke in your notebook.
2. Go back and read the selection on your own. As you read, make note of specific details you learn about the duke and the words or actions that reveal these details.
Fix-Up Idea: Reread
Try rereading the dramatic monologue, paying attention to what the punctuation tells you about how the speaker says something. Because this is a dramatic monologue, one speaker speaks every word. You'll notice that there are no quotation marks around the entire text. Within the text, quotation marks mean that the speaker is using words as words or is quoting someone else. Parentheses indicate an aside. Keep these things in mind as you reread the selection.
After Reading
Summarize Experience
With a partner, compare the notes you took about the duke. Work together to write a brief character sketch of the man.
Before Reading "Andrea del Sarto"
Gather Information
Preview the selection by reading the Prereading page carefully, examining the title and related footnote, and looking at the art on page 804. Using the information you have gathered, make one or more preliminary predictions about the selection.
During Reading
Make Predictions
1. Listen as your teacher reads the first 19 lines aloud. Did anything in the opening lines fit your preliminary predictions? Did anything make you change your ideas? Think about what the speaker is suggesting at the end of this section. What do you think will happen next? Write down your new predictions in your notebook.
2. Read the rest of the poem on your own. Stop occasionally to assess your predictions, make new predictions, and write them in your notebook.
Fix-Up Idea: Use Guided Reading Questions
If you are having trouble following this long poem, try using the Guided Reading Questions to help you. These questions will help you identify main ideas in the poem. Write the question and the answer to each question in your notebook.
After Reading
Analyze and Verify Predictions
Go through your list of predictions. Put a star next to every prediction that you were right about. Put a check next to every prediction where you changed your ideas from a previous prediction. Share your predictions with a partner. Talk about what clues in the poem led you to make the predictions.