Up at a Villa-Down in the City
An Italian person of quality complains about life at his mountain villa and longs for a house overlooking the city square, with its shops, gossip, entertainments and religious processions. Higher prices and taxes force him to settle for the villa, though he still delights in the city's bustle.
By Robert Browning · Genre: Dramatic Monologue, Satirical Poetry · 1,168 words
First lines
(As Distinguished by an Italian Person of Quality)
Had I but plenty of money, money enough and to spare, / The house for me, no doubt, were a house in the city-square; / Ah, such a life, such a life, as one leads at the window there!
What this Textopian page supports
Up at a Villa-Down in the City is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Browning, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Browning
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Dramatic Monologue, Satirical Poetry
- Length: 1,168 words
- Structure: 1 section, 11 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Up at a Villa-Down in the City by Robert Browning
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Genres
- Dramatic Monologue — A single Italian speaker addresses a listener, revealing his preferences and financial constraints through his comparison of villa and city life.
- Satirical Poetry — Exaggerated complaints about the countryside and enthusiasm for city spectacles culminate in the speaker's reluctant choice of the cheaper villa.
Tags
city life · country life · cost of living · religious processions · dramatic monologue