Summary
Summary Porphyria's Lover - Robert Browning
AQA GCSE English Literature Poetry for Love and Relationships - Porphyria's Lover by Robert Browning
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Harsh sounds reflecting his moodPorphyria’s Lover
This shows that the speaker is emotionally at
Pathetic fallacy – creates a tense/threatening atmosphere
breaking point and hints at his mental insatiability
The rain set early in to-night, Smooth and positive – this description of Porphyria
The sullen wind was soon awake, almost seems magical – change of mood
Associated
It tore the elm-tops down for spite,
with death – Porphyria seems to be a powerful and positive force in the
And did its worst to vex the lake:
foreshadows speaker’s life. Her actions contrasts with the miserable weather
I listened with heart fit to break.
death
When glided in Porphyria; straight Creates unusual line breaks that reflects the
She shut the cold out and the storm, speaker’s unstable mental state
And kneeled and made the cheerless grate
Blaze up, and all the cottage warm; Context – female sexuality was repressed in the Victorian
Which done, she rose, and from her form period, Porphyria is openly flaunting hers. Women who
Repetition of
behaved like this were often labelled as ‘fallen women’ –
‘and’ – Withdrew the dripping cloak and shawl,
the use of the word ‘fallen’ suggests that Porphyria’s
emphasises the And laid her soiled gloves by, untied
behaviour can be seen as sinful
calm way theHer hat and let the damp hair fall,
And, last, she sat down by my side Porphyria is seen as active and dominant whereas
speaker is
the speaker is seen as passive and inactive
chronologically And called me. When no voice replied,
recounting the She put my arm about her waist, The speaker’s passivity can be seen as strange – he doesn’t
events leading And made her smooth white shoulder bare, speak and lets Porphyria arrange his body. He might also be
up to her And all her yellow hair displaced, resenting her power of control
murder And, stooping, made my cheek lie there, Repetition of ‘yellow hair’ – graphic and sensual – shows the
And spread, o'er all, her yellow hair, speaker’s obsession with it. Foreshadows the speaker using it to
Murmuring how she loved me — she kill Porphyria later in the poem
Verb – suggests Too weak, for all her heart's endeavour,
The speaker is critical of Porphyria’s lack of commitment to him. She
her tone is To set its struggling passion free
may be from a higher social class than him – this situation could be
flirtatious, or From pride, and vainer ties dissever,
difficult for her as her family might not approve of this relationship
that she doesn’t And give herself to me for ever.
really meanBut passion sometimes would prevail, Porphyria left a party to see the speaker – this shows how much
what she says Nor could to-night's gay feast restrain she wants to see him but it could also show that she is ashamed of
A sudden thought of one so pale him as she didn’t invite him
For love of her, and all in vain: First time in the poem that the speaker takes action – signals
So, she was come through wind and rain. a shift in the balance of passivity and activity between
The speaker Be sure I looked up at her eyes
Porphyria and the speaker
wants to be Happy and proud; at last I knew
loved by her Porphyria worshipped me; surprise The speaker had doubt that Porphyria loved him
and to have Made my heart swell, and still it grew Porphyria has come to be with the speaker and he is convinced
power over While I debated what to do. that she loves him, so he wants to preserve the moment
her That moment she was mine, mine, fair, Repetition of ‘mine’ – disturbing and suspicious – emphasises how
Perfectly pure and good: I found much the speaker wants to possess/gain control of her
A thing to do, and all her hair This description of the murder is shocking because it is sudden and
In one long yellow string I wound unexpected – he gained control by taking Porphyria’s life
Three times her little throat around,
And strangled her. No pain felt she; Sense of insanity – this is clearly not true. The reader now has
I am quite sure she felt no pain. reason to question everything the speaker has been saying
As a shut bud that holds a bee,
, Ambiguity – this could mean there is no evidence of his sin that he
thinks Porphyria doesn’t blame him for murdering her, or that there
I warily oped her lids: again is no ‘stain’ in her honour as it is implied that he kept her purity
Laughed the blue eyes without a stain. The speaker believes that Porphyria’s red face (as a result of
And I untightened next the tress being strangling) is actually a blush from his passionate kiss –
About her neck; her cheek once more this shows that he is delusional
Blushed bright beneath my burning kiss:
Juxtaposition – shows the speaker’s love for Porphyria is
Pronoun – the I propped her head up as before, passionate but also destructive
speaker is Only, this time my shoulder bore
The speaker is now active and Porphyria is passive – he has
describing Her head, which droops upon it still:
The smiling rosy little head, put her back to her weakness
Porphyria as
‘it’ – she is So glad it has its utmost will, Natural imagery – reflects Porphyria’s beauty but also the speaker’s
That all it scorned at once is fled, foolishness – flowers droop, just as this moment will not last – very
just an object
And I, its love, am gained instead! far from reality
for him
Porphyria's love: she guessed not how
Her darling one wish would be heard. Sense of disturbance – the reader realises that Porphyria
And thus we sit together now, has been dead for the whole poem
And all night long we have not stirred,
And yet God has not said a word! This is ambiguous – the speaker could be surprised that he
The speaker might be celebrating that there is no hasn’t been punished yet or perhaps he doesn’t believe that
God (defying him). He believes that he had he has committed a sin
protected Porphyria by keeping her pure and also
believes that God has accepted this
Robert Browning
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