Friedrich Durrenmatt once said, “It’s only in love and in murder that we still remain sincere” (“Murder Quotes”). This quote perfectly describes the tale of “Porphyria’s Lover”. In the Robert Browning poem, the narrator is a man who, after a night of passion and intense emotion, abruptly murders his lover. Upon first reading the poem, it puzzled me as to why the narrator would murder such a beautiful woman. However, I discovered that the narrator’s abnormal behavior and the complications of the relationship due to social hierarchy were the reasons he murdered Porphyria.
There are many points in the poem where the narrator shows he has a mental disorder. One of the first pieces of evidence is in the beginning of the poem when the narrator describes …show more content…
Symbolism of her superiority can be found when Porphyria has to stoop, or lower herself in order to get on the same level of the narrator (line 19). Also, the narrator’s passive behavior in the beginning of the poem-Porphyria closing the door and starting the fire- showed Porphyria’s supremacy in the relationship. Once the narrator and his lover are lying together in bed, the narrator says that he does not approve of her efforts when she says that she loves him because they are weak. This was because of her pride and unwillingness to let go of her “vainer ties,” which may either be her family or the joys of the aristocratic lifestyle. Likewise, Porphyria’s insecurities are also a reason because it was not customary for people of a higher class to have relationships with lower class people. She was afraid that if she publicized the relationship, she was going to be shunned by her community. Therefore, whenever the narrator and Porphyria are able to be together, which is occasionally, the narrator tried to cherish every moment he has with her because of circumstances surrounding their …show more content…
This is evidenced by the actions of the narrator in “Porphyria’s Lover.” The narrator showed signs of either having the schizophrenia or the blood disorder porphyria by the way he strangely acts throughout the poem. Also, the poem’s change of pattern once Porphyria’s control over the relationship, but that she is from a higher class than the narrator. These elements, psychological and sociological, add a layer of gravitas to the poem. Without them would leave the reader clueless as to why the narrator murdered his
There are many points in the poem where the narrator shows he has a mental disorder. One of the first pieces of evidence is in the beginning of the poem when the narrator describes …show more content…
Symbolism of her superiority can be found when Porphyria has to stoop, or lower herself in order to get on the same level of the narrator (line 19). Also, the narrator’s passive behavior in the beginning of the poem-Porphyria closing the door and starting the fire- showed Porphyria’s supremacy in the relationship. Once the narrator and his lover are lying together in bed, the narrator says that he does not approve of her efforts when she says that she loves him because they are weak. This was because of her pride and unwillingness to let go of her “vainer ties,” which may either be her family or the joys of the aristocratic lifestyle. Likewise, Porphyria’s insecurities are also a reason because it was not customary for people of a higher class to have relationships with lower class people. She was afraid that if she publicized the relationship, she was going to be shunned by her community. Therefore, whenever the narrator and Porphyria are able to be together, which is occasionally, the narrator tried to cherish every moment he has with her because of circumstances surrounding their …show more content…
This is evidenced by the actions of the narrator in “Porphyria’s Lover.” The narrator showed signs of either having the schizophrenia or the blood disorder porphyria by the way he strangely acts throughout the poem. Also, the poem’s change of pattern once Porphyria’s control over the relationship, but that she is from a higher class than the narrator. These elements, psychological and sociological, add a layer of gravitas to the poem. Without them would leave the reader clueless as to why the narrator murdered his