Browning's most popular "My Last Duchess" appeared first in Dramatic lyrics in 1842. It is the finest examples of dramatic monologue. An ironic self-portrait of royalty is painted. The word spoken is to criticize the last duchess. The Duke of Ferrara is the only speaker and the emissary of a count is the listener. The listener is silent during the entire poem and asks about the smile of the last duchess in the portrait offstage. The listener is trying to negotiate the marriage between the duke and the count's daughter.