Porphyria's Lover

• Who wrote Porphyria's Lover?

  Robert Browning
• What era was Porphyria's Lover written in?

  Victorian
• What is porphyria?

  A type of disease that causes madness
• When was Porphyria's Lover written?

  1836
• 'The rain set early in to-night /

  The sullen wind was soon awake,'
• 'It tore the elm-tops down for spite, /

  And did its worst to vex the lake:'
• 'I listened with heart fit to break. /

  When glided in Porphyria; straight'
• 'She shut the cold out and the storm, /

  And kneeled and made the cheerless grate'
• 'Blaze up, and all the cottage warm; /

  Which done, she rose, and from her form'
• 'Withdrew the dripping cloak and shawl, /

  And laid her soiled gloves by, untied'
• 'Her hat and let the damp hair fall, /

  And, last, she sat down by my side'
• 'And called me. When no voice replied, /

  She put my arm about her waist,'
• 'And made her smooth white shoulder bare, /

  And all her yellow hair displaced,'
• 'And, stooping, made my cheek lie there, /

  And spread, o'er all, her yellow hair,'
• 'Murmuring how she loved me - she /

  Too weak for all her heart's endeavour,'
• 'To set its struggling passion free /

  From pride, and vainer ties dissever,'
• 'And give herself to me for ever. /

  But passion sometimes would prevail,'
• 'Nor could tonight's gay feast restrain /

  A sudden thought of one so pale'
• 'For love of her, and all in vain: /

  So, she was come through wind and rain.'
• 'Be sure I looked up at her eyes /

  Happy and proud; at last I knew'
• 'Porphyria worshipped me: surprise /

  Made my heart swell, and still it grew'
• 'While I debated what to do. /

  That moment she was mine, mine, fair,'
• 'Perfectly pure and good: I found /

  A thing to do, and all her hair'
• 'In one long yellow string I wound /

  Three times her little throat around,'
• 'And strangled her. No pain felt she; /

  I am quite sure she felt no pain.'
• 'As a shut bud that holds a bee, /

  I warily oped her lids: again'
• 'Laughed the blue eyes without a stain. /

  And I untightened next the tress'
• 'About her neck; her cheek once more

  Blushed bright beneath my burning kiss:'
• 'I propped her head up as before, /

  Only, this time my shoulder bore'
• 'Her head, which droops upon it still: /

  The smiling rosy little head,'
• 'So glad it has its utmost will, /

  That all is scorned at once is fled,'
• 'And I, its love, am gained instead! /

  Porphyria's love: she guessed not how'
• 'Her darling one wish would be heard. /

  And thus we sit together now,'
• 'And all night long we have not stirred, /

  And yet God has not said a word!'
• Who is the voice of Porphyria's Lover?

  The lover of Porphyria - a lower class man who lives in a cottage
• What technique is used in the following line and what is it's effect: 'The sullen wind was soon awake'?

  Personification - it creates a sense of unease due to the fact that the word 'sullen' means moody or angry and emphasises the strength of the wind
• What technique is used in the following line and what is it's effect: 'It tore the elm-tops down for spite,'?

  Assonance - emphasises the harshness of the wind
• What does the line: 'And did its worst to vex the lake' mean?

  It refers to the choppiness of the lake caused by the wind
• How is the storm broken?

  Porphyria 'glided' in - suggests a very smooth motion and emphasises her beauty
• Why is the line: 'Blaze up, and all the cottage warm' significant?

  The word 'Blaze' refers to fire which represents passion