Porphyrias Lover Robert Browning Robert Browning Born in

‘Porphyria’s Lover’ Robert Browning

Robert Browning • • • Born in London in 1812 to a deeply religious mother Father – bank clerk, who collected books – he had over 6000 of them At 12 he wrote his first poetry collection Lived with parents until he was 33 Considered an expert in the dramatic monologue poem Many of his characters reflected the moral decay of Victorian society In 1844 read poems by Elizabeth Barrett – he wrote to her and they started to write to each other regularly They met and fell in love, but as she was ill, her father was very protective – he had forbidden her to ever get married In 1846 they got married in secret and ran away to Italy where they had a son She died in 1861 and he returned to England He died in 1889

Some helpful context… Porphyria • • A disease that can affect the nervous system or the skin. Causes urine to turn blue. Sometimes named ‘The Royal Disease’ as it has been linked to many of the Royal family down the years. There are many symptoms including madness and inevitably, a long and painful death. Porphura is the Greek word for purple - royalty In 1836 the poem was published under the name Porphyria and in 1842 changed to Madhouse Cells. In 1863 it was changed again to Porphyria's Lover.

Pathetic Fallacy creates an ominous and threatening atmosphere - seems to reflect his dark mood Personification The rain set early in tonight, The sullen wind was soon awake, It tore the elm-tops down for spite, and did its worst to vex the lake: STRUCTURE: Speaker looking back STRUCTURE: First four lines are setting the scene

She sounds almost magical This hints at his mental instability; he is emotionally at breaking point Also challenges Victorian ideals of women, as she is alone Kneeling suggests submission 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; Brings brightness, warmth and passion to the room. STRUCTURE: Her actions contrast with the miserable weather Almost what is expected of a woman in the Victorian era

Enjambment – it is an unusual line break – reflects the speaker’s unusual mental state 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, Shocking in the Victorian era Represents the repressed female sexuality. She is openly flaunting hers ‘fallen woman’ - sinful

Shows his passivity. He doesn’t speak and lets her arrange his body – is he angry? He ignores her 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, STRUCTURE: ‘And’ – repetition. Shows how calmly he is recounting the events leading up to the murder ‘fallen women’ again Repetition of yellow hair – shows his obsession. STRUCTURE: Foreshadows what will happen. Whole scene is seductive

Does she really mean it? 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 forever. He is critical of her lack of commitment. Is she from a higher class? Do her family not approve? He sees her as weak Dissever – break away

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: Is she a higher social class? She’s left a party to see him – does she love him, or is he not part of her social activities?

This is the first time that he takes action. There is a move from passivity to action. So, she was come through wind and rain. Be sure I looked up at her eyes Happy and proud; at last I knew Porphyria worshiped me: surprise Made my heart swell, and still it grew While I debated what to do. He wants to be loved by her – enjoying the idea of power?

He wants to preserve that moment He repeats this to reassure himself – clearly not the case! STRUCTURE: Repetition of possessive pronoun– disturbing and suspicious. It emphasises how he wants to possess her. That moment she was 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. STRUCTURE: Anastrophe – words in an unusual order Uneasiness It Shocking because it is unexpected. STRUCTURE: There is also no change in rhythm STRUCTURE: Caesura emphasises the sudden and final nature

Simile – he is afraid of what he will see when he opens her eyelids Unlikely that her eyes are laughing Almost like a living doll 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: He thinks she is blushing from his kiss – sounds as if he is deranged STRUCTURE: Juxtaposition – shows that love is passionate, but also destructive Alliteration Hard sound

Flower imagery – reflects her beauty, but also shows this perfect moment won’t last STRUCTURE: Reversal – he is active and she is passive 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 it scorned at once is fled, And I, its love, am gained instead! ‘it’ and ‘its’ shows that she has become just an object – she is now the ultimate passive object In her mind he has given her what she wanted – to be with him forever

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! Ambiguity – could be surprised he hasn’t been punished or perhaps he doesn’t believe he has committed a sin at all This is disturbing as we realise that she has been dead for the whole poem He sounds almost gleeful

Structure and form Dramatic monologue – not the poet speaking. It is his point of view, so is he therefore telling us everything? One continuous stanza No breaks Because it is continuous, we don’t anticipate the murder Active/passive - shifts Seems like a romantic setting and style so the ending shocks us

Structure and form Rhymes – seems to give the poem a romantic quality, but if we look closely all is not as it seems 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, Breaks away from the alternate rhyme scheme we expected Creates a sense of unease

Mental instability Powerful Ominous Threatening Enjambment Sinful Calm Repetition Foreshadows Passivity Pathetic Fallacy Personification Repressed Control Simile Juxtaposition Ambiguity Madness Dramatic monologue Violence Power Anastrophe