The Bishop Orders His tomb at Saint Praxed's Church Analysis

Robert Browning was known as a dramatic monologist. That would be someone who specializes in dramatic monologues. To take a deep dive into this form, we know of a course that can help. For now, tho...

We don't know about you, but when we think of a bishop, we think of the poet Elizabeth Bishop. Then we think of a chess piece. We're just weird like that, though. Most folks would think of a religi...

The setting is so important to this poem that Browning gives it to us before we read a single line. We know from the title that we're in St. Praxed's Church. (Check out more on the title in "What's...

As a dramatic monologue, "The Bishop Orders His Tomb" is meant to be read as if someone is speaking out loud. We say more about this form over in "Form and Meter," but as far as the poem's sound go...

Okay, gang, take a deep breath. We'll get through this together. "The Bishop Orders His Tomb at St. Praxed's Church" is about… a bishop… who orders his tomb at St. Praxed's church. Still with u...

For a long time, Robert Browning's main calling card was his more-famous wife, Elizabeth Barrett. Still, he didn't stay overshadowed forever. He kept writing, even self-publishing his work, and, be...

You'd better pack an extra pair of socks for this hike, Shmoopers. To truly understand this poem, it helps to have a background in history, religion, mythology, and even geology. (Props to you if y...

Robert Browning's dad was set to inherit a family fortune. When he was sent to work on a family sugar plantation in the West Indies, though, he was so opposed to the slavery he saw there that he ga...

In addition to going on and on about how hot his now-dead sons' mother was, this bishop also makes reference to other parts of women's anatomy and orders up a frieze featuring a nearly-naked nymph....

St. Praxed (60, 73, 95)Ecclesiastes 1.2 (1)Jesus (59)Moses (62)Nymphs (57)Pans (57) Apollo (58)Dionysus (58) Cicero (77)Ulpian (79)