Q&A for How to Write Dramatic Monologue

Shakespeare's plays are full of dramatic monologues. One famous example of a dramatic monologue poem is Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess." Examples from literature include Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, which contains several dramatic monologues voiced by the monster.

In poetry, a dramatic monologue (or persona poem) is a poem written in the voice of a single speaker. This type of poem is usually written in a somewhat theatrical style. Dramatic monologues can also be used in novels in order to provide the reader with the uninterrupted thoughts of a character.

As the article states, "A dramatic monologue is typically a long excerpt in a larger piece of writing that reveals the character’s thoughts and feelings." In a dramatic monologue, one character speaks without interruption from other characters.

No, your dramatic monologue doesn't have to rhyme. More often than not, dramatic monologues do not rhyme.

Write down your ideas first, and then in the end, you can focus on structuring your monologue.

Yes, a dramatic monologue can be as short or as long as you like, although the longer it is, the more details and poetic techniques you can put in it.

You can insert stage and vocal directions by using parentheses, perhaps with italics or bold type.

Assuming the monologue is for a play, the form doesn't really matter. No one will see it but the actor and the director. It just has to be clearly legible. (Stage and vocal directions can be inserted parenthetically.)