THE LAST RIDE

TOGETHER

Robert Browning
 About the poet

Robert Browning (1812-1889) was an English poet and playwright, best known for his dramatic
monologues that explored the human psyche and the complexities of human relationships.
Born in Camberwell, London, Browning was the son of a wealthy clerk in the Bank of England.
He was educated privately, studying Greek, Latin, and literature, and began writing poetry at a
young age.
Browning’s early work was influenced by Romantic poets such as Shelley and Keats, but he later
developed his own unique style, characterized by his use of dramatic monologue, complex
syntax, and often obscure references. He first achieved critical success with the publication of
“Pauline: A Fragment of a Confession” in 1833, and went on to write many other notable works,
including “Men and Women,” and “The Ring and the Book.”
.
Browning’s personal life was also marked by drama, as he eloped with fellow poet Elizabeth
Barrett in 1846 and spent much of his life living abroad in Italy. Despite his success as a writer,
he was often criticized for his unconventional style and subject matter. However, his work has
since been recognized as a major influence on modernist poets such as T.S. Eliot and Ezra
Pound, and continues to be studied and celebrated today

His Writing Style

Robert Browning wrote poems that let us peek into people's minds. He liked using a style
called dramatic monologue, where characters talk to someone else, letting us see their
thoughts and feelings. His writing is full of vivid pictures and deep thoughts about life.
Browning used tricky words and sentences, but they help us understand the complex ideas he
explores. He also played with rhymes and rhythms in new ways, making his poems sound
different from others of his time. His poems make us think hard about what it means to be
human.
 Historical Context
Robert Browning’s poem “The Last Ride Together” was published in 1855 as part of his
collection of poems titled “Men and Women.” The poem was written during the Victorian era, a
period in British history marked by Queen Victoria’s reign from 1837 to 1901.
The Victorian era was characterized by significant social, economic, and political changes,
including the Industrial Revolution, urbanization, and the expansion of the British Empire. It was
also a time of strict social norms and morality, where the upper class was expected to adhere to
rigid codes of conduct, and women were relegated to traditional roles as wives and mothers.
Browning’s poem reflects some of these societal norms and expectations, particularly in its
portrayal of the male speaker’s desire for his mistress, who is already engaged to another man.
The poem explores themes of love, desire, and mortality, which were prevalent in Victorian
literature and art.
Additionally, Browning was writing during a time of significant literary movement, known as the
Victorian literary period. This period saw the rise of novelists like Charles Dickens, the Bronte
sisters, and Thomas Hardy, who wrote about social issues and class struggles in their works.
Browning was part of a group of poets known as the “Brownings,” which included his wife
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who were known for their dramatic monologues and exploration of
human psychology.
One historical reference in the poem is the mention of the Abbey-stones, which refers to
Westminster Abbey in London, a famous site of British monarchs’ burials and memorials..
 The setting of the poem

"The Last Ride Together" by Robert Browning is primarily outdoors in the countryside. The
speaker and the woman he loves take a horse ride together through various landscapes,
including hills, valleys, and forests. The time period of the poem is not explicitly stated, but
it is likely set in the 19th century, which is when Browning was writing. The setting of the
poem
serves to create a romantic and idyllic atmosphere, as the natural beauty of the countryside
is intertwined with the emotional landscape of the speaker's final moments with his
beloved.
 Summary of the poem
The I stanza of the poem reveals the speaker's acceptance of
his fate and his desire to cherish the memories of his love, even
in the face of rejection. He acknowledges that his love has failed
to change the outcome, but he still expresses gratitude and pride
in the beloved's name. The speaker relinquishes any hope for a
future together, requesting only the opportunity for one final ride
as a cherished memory. Despite the pain of rejection, there is a
sense of resignation and appreciation for the moments shared
with the beloved.
 II Stanza focuses on the woman’s reaction, as she surveys
him with pride tempered with pity. The narrator compares waiting for
her answer with life or death, accentuating the emotional stakes that are always
at play when it comes to love and passion. In the end, the parting couple
embarks on their final ride together.

In the III Stanza the speaker vividly describes a moment of intimacy with his beloved.
The imagery suggests a merging of the earthly and heavenly realms, with the sensation
of being enveloped in divine presence. The beloved leans in close to the speaker,
evoking a mix of joy and fear in the moment, as she briefly rests on his chest,
symbolizing a fleeting yet intense connection between them.
 The fourth stanza focuses on Browning’s philosophy of the passing nature of life. The narrator
begins to let go of what was and begins to enjoy what is. He describes his soul as smoothing
out as he lets go of past hopes. He knows that there’s no point to speculating what could have
been. Things could be better or worse, and instead he chooses to simply enjoy the moment that
they are sharing together.

The fifth stanza continues the themes in the fourth, with the narrator contrasting himself with
men who strove for other things, and those who have failed. He does this to hide his personal
anguish over the end of his affair. He accepts his defeat and expresses his hope for a better
future in heaven at the end of his life.
 The sixth stanza presents the philosophical idea that a life of contemplation in love is far better
than any pleasures that the material world can provide. This stanza contains many allusions
and analogies, such as comparing the greatest joys of life to a crown that one can reach. It
compares the life of a love with that of a statesman and a soldier, and comes down firmly on
the idea that the lover’s life is superior.

The seventh and eighth stanzas focus on comparisons of the love to a great poet and later a
great sculptor. The narrator describes the talents of these artists - the poet’s work being defined
by how they create rhyme and rhythm, while the sculptor devotes years to a chunk of rock and
carves something spectacular out of it. He later does the same with a composer, stringing notes
together. He compares these arts to the years of his life he gave to his love, attempting to create
something beautiful out of their union.
 In the ninth stanza, the narrator wonders what fate has in store for them, and
admits he has no idea what would have transpired had they remained together.
He expresses his regret that it has to end here, but admits that there is nothing he
can do and chooses to let go, stating that his life with his lover is now as far away
from him as heaven.

.
The final stanza has him turn his focus back to his lover, as he observes her and
notes that she hasn’t said anything in a while. He wonders what would happen if
they simply rode forever, together, and this instant they shared was made
eternity. That is where the poem ends, on that wistful note for an eternity of this
moment, without the future apart that awaits them when the ride ends.
 Critical Appreciation
Robert Browning’s “Last Ride Together” is a monologue of a
rejected lover that expresses his undying love for his beloved. The
dramatic situation appears to be one in which the lover, upon
being rejected by his mistress, asks for, and is granted, one last
horseback ride with her across a mysterious landscape. The ride,
however, seems to stretch out to eternity; there is no sense of time
demarcation, but a continuous unfurling of landscape. The poem
echoes the ‘carpe diem’ motif of seizing the present.
 The poet dwells on the significance of the present as he concentrates on the
ride. He contemplates on why people attach so much significance to the past and
future, than focusing on the present. One should breathe each moment as
though there is no room for regret. “The Last Ride Together” makes profound
statements concerning the irrelevance of the past in relation to present emotions
and sentiments. More specifically, Browning discusses hopes that have not been
fulfilled, and places them in direct contrast to present circumstances. By 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 lover as he rides with his beloved continues to think about the
world. He says that brain and hand cannot go together hand in
hand. Conception and execution can never be paired together. Man is
not able to make pace with his actions to match with his ambitions. He
plans a lot but achieves a little. The lover feels that he has at least
achieved a little success by being able to ride with his beloved. He
compares himself with a statesman and a soldier. A statesman works
hard all his life but all his efforts are merely published in a book or as an
obituary in newspapers. Similarly a soldier dies fighting for his country
and is buried in the Westminster Abbey, which is his only reward after
death.
 "The Last Ride Together" indicates that life is a long
journey that is best played out with a special love.
Seeing every day as one’s last can really put a new
perspective on everyday experiences and life in general.
One can learn not to look back on what one hoped for,
but only to look forward at what one has.
”The Last Ride Together” as a Dramatic Monologue
One of the salient features in Browning’s poetry is the dramatic monologue which is a rare
poetical combination of drama and lyric. Although, as a dramatist, Browning failed absolutely,
his dramatic poetry, as manifested in his dramatic monologue, remains quite impressive.

In a dramatic monologue, an imaginary narrator (a man or a woman) is made to speak out his or
her feeling in a highly dramatic setting. This is no drama, has no external action, and the entire
effect is implied in the revelation of the inner soul of the person concerned. Browning’s dramatic
monologue is the poetry of the situation rather than the dramatic situation. The imaginary man or
woman is placed in a situation that is dramatic and has a terrible impact on his or her mind,
thereby driving him or her to an unconscious expression of his or her own inner thoughts,
desires, or passions.
“The Last Ride Together” is a significant work of Browning not because it is merely rich in
philosophic notes or idealism, but also for its dramatic character. It is, indeed, a finished
specimen of Browning’s dramatic monologue. It well bears out the unique features with which
Browning’s dramatic monologue is presented and made impressive.
 The theme of “The Last Ride Together” is the rejection of a lover by his lady-love, and his
vigorous optimistic interpretation of his failure to win her. This theme of rejected love is well
treated by the poet in a dramatic setting and the effect produced is quite commendable.
“The Last Ride Together”, like other dramatic monologues of Browning, is essentially a poem of
situation. The poet does not treat here the entire story of courtship but seizes upon a particular
occasion from the chronicle of love which is of a vital dramatic significance in the lover’s life.

This is the moment of his rejection by the lady. Browning exploits this situation to build up
his high philosophy of life and love through the monologue of his rejected lover.
The dramatic monologue, as asserted already, is no drama of external action.
In “The Last Ride Together”, there is no external action, but there are internal
conflicts and reflections.
 The dramatic monologue deals with only one character, the imaginary narrator, and the whole
affair is viewed and presented through him or her. In “The Last Ride Together”, the entire
philosophization is made by the rejected lover. There is but one voice, there is but one assertion
and all these belong to the rejected lover.
The dramatic monologue has no beginning, middle, or end, like a regular drama. It is only a
mental drama of the situation, and attempts to bring out the working of the mind in its deep core.
In “The Last Ride Together”, the drama is enacted on the stage of the mind of the lover who
consoles himself in his rejection by justifying his failure through reflections on the failure of the
world and the spiritual success to come after earthly failure.
 Themes

1. Love and Loss

2. Acceptance and Resignation
3. Freedom and Liberation
4. Reflection and Memory
5. Power of the Moment
6. Pains and Consolations of Low
7. Art and Experience
4. Transience of Human Relationships: The poem meditates on
the transient nature of human relationships and the inevitability
of change and separation.

5. Reflection and Memory: The speaker reflects on the past and

memories of their time together, contemplating the significance
of their relationship and its ultimate end.

6. The Power of the Moment: There is a focus on the present

moment and the power it holds, as the speaker and the woman
seize the opportunity to share one final ride together, cherishing
“Latent Lust in The Last Ride Together: A Study
in Deconstruction and Psychoanalysis”.
-Amitava Pal.
 Deconstruction-

•A critical theory and philosophical approach.

•Proposed bt Jacques Derrida.
•It assumes that the text has no fixed meaning, so when we
read, we are prone to misread.

Psychoanalysis-

•This theory posits that our childhood experiences and

unconscious desires shape our behaviour.
It divides the psyche into 3 functions:
1.The id- the unconscious.
2.Superego- subconscious.
3.Ego- Conscious.
 Browning is the king of dramatic monologue. One unique feature of
this poetic genre is that the speaker unwittingly reveals unsavoury
aspects of his own mind and character. In the poem, ‘The Last Ride
Together’ by Browning, the monologist has been in love with his
mistress. The rejection of his love creates a frustrated situation. He
coolly accepts the rejection but wishes for one more last ride as a
token of memory. One may think of this ride as seemingly a naive one.
However the countours and the nuances of the poem betray that this
last ride may not be so ‘naive’ and ‘innocent’ after all; it is fraught
with sexual tensions and erotic dynamics.
 Somewhere down his psyche he is aware of his creeping sense of unsuccess. And no
fewer than 5 stanzas of this 10 stanza poem are devoted primarily to consolation. Each
of 5 consolation stanzas carries a refrain- “I hoped she would love me, here we’re
riding”, “i hoped she would love me, here we ride” and so forth. According to Freudian
thoughts, “riding” is a symbol of consummation. As said earlier, one might think of the
ride as a horse ride but it is never mentioned. Further the frequent evocation of “ride”
invests the ride with a wistfulness, as if, whole thing is psychological than real.

“saw other regions, cities new” (48)

New cities and regions cannot be seen in a single ride. The journey is within the mind.
The image of flying, like the image of riding, is also a sexual one.
Speaker’s language, as it tries to capture his musings in metaphorical ways, often
assumes an erotic dimension in its double meaning.
 “Who knows the world may end to-night?” (22)

Speaker must know that this won’t happen. So, this is an unconscious wish rather than a
proposition.

Had the mistress given assent. The speaker could have given free reigns to his ‘pleasure
principle’ to the innate libidinal desires called ‘id’.
But then the reality principles creep in. Superego ordains the societal demands of
morality. The ego tries its best to negotiate the conflicts between id and superego. The
role of ego here becomes critical. It reflects the victorian ethos. It was an age that was
prudish and disallowed straight forward expression of desire. The disguise of reality
becomes necessary. And in Victorian era, ride meant consummation.
 A deconstructive reading of the line, “one more last ride” shows that the
line is fraught with tension. Linguistically speaking, it could either be ‘one
more ride’ or ‘one last ride’. The question, how can it be one more last
ride? is also raised. There can only be one last ride and not one more last
ride.

In conclusion, there is more to ‘The Last Ride Together’ than that meets
the eye. What had begun as a naive ride assumes complexity remains
concealed. It is not merely a ride on horse, it is a journey in desire. It is
probably a commentary on the Victorain ethos- an age that was prudish
and disallowed straight forward expression of desire.
Robust Optimism in Robert Browning’s “The Last Ride Together”
Sapna Sharma
 Wonderful expression of Browning’s Robust Optimism which can lend hope
to many a dejected soul who sits and weeps bitterly
for the lost youth and waning beauty.“The Last Ride Together “is one of the most
famous and most characteristic poems of Browning.
The theme is how a rejected lover won victory out of jaws of defeat and turned his
worldly
frustration into an occasion for spiritual celebration. The speaker is
a rejected lover. But he still has gay looks and blossoming appearance as his lady love
has granted
his last wish of having a last ride together. So what, if after this ride they part finally and
eternally.
The lover, may be an altar ego of the poet, refuses to give himself up to despair. On the
contrary,
he is not only satisfied but happy with his luck.
 The title gives the first hint of the physical element of this poem. The words “ride
together” imply
a ride, literally, of the speaker and his mistress; an act they share together
The lover will not impose himself on his beloved rather feel contented with his ‘sweet
pilgrimage’.He is proud of the fact that for one day more, he is defied (like God). His soul
smothers itself out
like a long crumpled scroll, freshening and fluttering in mind. The incurable optimism of
lover
speaks through a series of images to console his heart. He is in no mood to purchase
misery and
tears from the sad past.
 The lover considers himself much better than a poet. The poet is far from realizing his
sublime
ideals in actual life. Whatever he cannot achieve in reality, he claims to achieve the
same in
imagination. He calls the poet a doomed person who gets ‘poor, sick, old ere your time ‘.
The lover is more than an optimist
because in his flight of fancy, he feels that they may bid good bye to earth with all its
clocks and
watches. These are the sad indications of time which matter little in the world of love
Their last
ride may become eternal. They may fly to golden heavens where there is eternity and
timelessness.
And their last ride together may turn into an endless ride together. Moreover one must
“have bliss
to die with dim desire".
 In Conclusion,
Many of the characteristic ideas of Browning are involved in this poem. For
example, his sense ofsupreme spiritual value of love has vigorous faith that “all was
for the best”.
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