Porphyria's Lover - Robert Browning

• Context

  Robert Browning (1812-1889) was born in Camberwell, Surrey. He published 'Porphyria's Lover' in 1836. Porphyria is a disease that can result in madness.
• What the poem's about

  1. A man sits in his cold cottage on a stormy night. Porphyria, his lover, arrives and makes the cottage warm and comfortable, before sitting down next to him

  2. He ignores her while she's flirting with him - he seems upset with her. However, he decides that she loves him and that she belongs to him - he wants to preserve the moment, so he strangles her with her own hair. It's clear that the speaker is mentally disturbed.

  3. He opens her eyes and spends the rest of the night sitting with her dead body.
• What does the speaker believe about Porphyria's feelings towards her murder?

  He believes she wants to be murdered.
• How does the speaker's madness affect the reliability of the poem?

  It raises questions about his reliability.
• How is Porphyria's passivity depicted in the poem?

  She is passive during her murder.
• What change occurs in Porphyria's passivity after her murder?

  She becomes completely passive after death.
• Why might the narrator not report any struggle during the murder?

  He views it as a perfect moment.
• What does the speaker note about God's punishment for his actions?

  God hasn't punished him for the murder.
• What could the speaker's belief about sin imply about his character?

  He may not believe he committed a sin.
• How might Porphyria's actions be viewed by Victorians?

  As immoral for sneaking off to see her lover.
• What themes are explored through the speaker's and Porphyria's actions?

  Madness, passivity, and sin are explored.
• Form

  The poem is a dramatic monologue. The asymmetrical rhyme scheme (ABABB) and enjambment suggest that the speaker is unstable. However, the regular rhythm of the poem reflects his calmness. Porphyria has no voice in the poem - the speaker projects his own thoughts and feelings onto her in life and in death.

  "Untied" - Enjambment creates unusual line breaks that reflect the speaker's unstable mental state.

  "And" - Repetition of "And" emphasises the calm way he's chronologically recounting the events leading up to her murder.
• How do the events in the poem relate to each other?

  They mirror each other throughout the poem.
• What is the significance of Porphyria being active and dominant in the first half of the poem?

  It highlights her powerful influence on the speaker.
• What does Porphyria do to create warmth in the cottage?

  She makes the cheerless grate blaze up.
• How does the weather contrast with Porphyria's actions?

  The weather is miserable while she is warm.
• What does the speaker's passivity indicate when Porphyria arranges his body?

  It shows his strange lack of control or voice.
• What action does the speaker take for the first time in the poem?

  He looks up at Porphyria's eyes.
• How is the murder of Porphyria described in the poem?

  It is shocking, unexpected, and matter-of-fact.
• What literary device emphasizes the suddenness of Porphyria's murder?

  Caesura emphasizes the final nature of the action.
• What does the reversal of positions at the end of the poem signify?

  It indicates a shift in power dynamics between them.
• What does the speaker do after killing Porphyria?

  He places her head on his shoulder.
• What does the speaker want Porphyria to do?

  Belong to him "for ever"
• What does the speaker believe is stopping Porphyria from being with him?

  Her "pride" and "vainer ties"
• How does the speaker feel about Porphyria's social status?

  It complicates their relationship
• What does the phrase "From pride, and vainer ties dissever" imply about Porphyria?

  She lacks commitment to the speaker
• How does the speaker perceive Porphyria's feelings towards him?

  He believes she worships him
• What does "That moment" signify for the speaker?

  He wants to preserve their time together
• What does the repetition of "mine, mine" suggest about the speaker's intentions?

  He is obsessed with possessing her
• What do the words "drops" and "rosy" symbolize in the context of Porphyria?

  Her beauty and the fleeting moment
• How does the speaker's description of Porphyria as "it" affect the perception of their relationship?

  It objectifies her and shows possession
• What does the speaker's desperation to possess Porphyria indicate about his character?

  He is controlling and obsessive
• How does Porphyria's social class affect her relationship with the speaker?

  It creates challenges due to family disapproval
• What role does flower imagery play in the speaker's perception of Porphyria?

  It reflects her beauty and the moment's transience
• What does the speaker's use of the term "object" reveal about his view of Porphyria?

  He sees her as a possession rather than a person
• Language of love and violence

  The speaker combines love and violence to reflect the troubled and destructive nature of his love - e.g. "heart fit to break" and "burning kiss."

  "Blushed bright" - He believes her red face (as a result of being strangled) is actually a blush from his passionate kiss - this shows that he's derranged.

  "burning kiss:" - Juxtaposition shows the narrator's love for Porphyria is passionate but also destructive.

  "heart fit to break" - This shows how the narrator is emotionally at breaking point and hints at his mental instability
• What literary device creates a threatening atmosphere in the poem?

  Pathetic fallacy
• How does the word "glided" affect the portrayal of Porphyria?

  It makes her seem almost magical
• What does Porphyria's action of letting her hair fall signify in the context of Victorian society?

  She flaunts her female sexuality
• What does the term "fallen women" imply about Porphyria's behavior?

  It suggests her behavior is seen as sinful