A dramatic monologue is a kind of comprehensive soliloquy in which the speaker gives expression to his thoughts in the presence of a second person with the object of convincing him of his beliefs and convictions. It brings out in a brilliant searchlight the nature and character of the speaker. Thus, it can be deem as an instrument for presenting the incidents in the development of the soul. In short, it is the expression of the inner thoughts and motives of the character.
Robert Browning's handling of the dramatic monologue
In handling of the dramatic monologue form Robert Browning was brilliant. Psychological insight, analytical subtlety and power of dramatic interpretation are among the main features of Browning's dramatic monologue. Indeed much of the charm of his poetry, especially his love poems, lies in the situation, in which he places his character and allows them to speak out their mind.
True to the definition of this literary form, Browning in "TWO IN THE CAMPAGNA" presents the lover in a very critical moment resulting in his mental upset. The situation is not less critical than those felt by the rejected lovers in the "THE LAST RIDE TOGETHER" , "THE LABORATORY" and so on.
Thus, in "TWO IN THE CAMPAGNA" reveals the hunger for eternity in the midst of morality in which all the hunger for earthly love is burnt to dust. The lover straying on the Roman Campagna, with his beloved, contemplates on the idea of the finite and the infinite only to arrive at the conclusion that whereas hearts are finite, passion is infinite and that it is the charm between yearning and fulfillment that leads to suffering in life,
"..........only I discern-
Infinite passion and the pain
Of finite hearts that yearn. "
Whenever he thinks that he has at last been able to realize the fullest bliss of that infinite pleasure, it vanishes leaving him in the complete disarray. He sits down seriously to analyze the reason of it, and ultimately comes to the conclusion that it is beyond human power to retain the infinite passion permanently in our finite body.
Conclusion
Thus, Robert Browning's creations clearly demonstrate his brilliance in handling of the dramatic monologue form.
