The Last Ride Together

“The Last Ride Together” belongs to the subcategory of love poems which focus on the ending of a relationship but also affirm the lasting value of the love that gave the relationship its strength and joy. The opening lines echo the beginning of Michael Drayton’s sonnet “Since there’s no help, come let us kiss and part” (1594), in which the speaker pretends to be ready to move on but then appeals to his mistress to change her mind and give new life to their love. Another example is William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 87: “Farewell! Thou art too dear for my possessing” (1609), where parting from the beloved male friend (or lover) inspires praise and gratitude rather than resentment. Browning’s speaker reacts in the same manner. His “whole heart rises up to bless” his mistress, and he feels only “pride and thankfulness” for all that their relationship has given him (Lines 6-7). Even in parting, his desire to enjoy one more ride with his beloved affirms their lasting love, which becomes the poem’s central motif. Their romantic relationship is ending, but this last shared experience will stand for all that they once had and cherished as a couple.