Porphyria's Lover

The poem “Porphyria’s Lover” by Robert Browning was written in 1836. Although the poem was written so long ago, it is known to be a very dramatic and ironic poem due to the speaker’s theme of obsession. In Uma Kukathas’s ‘Critical Essay on “Porphyria’s Lover”’ it is stated and agreed upon that “"Porphyria 's Lover," is a poem in which a madman recounts to himself the events of the night before that end with his murdering the woman he loves.” (Kutkathas, Critical Essay on.). Throughout the poem…

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…

‘gender patriarchy and the oppression of women’[1], offers insights into many aspects that relate to the context of the poem, Porphyria’s Lover by Robert Browning. It could be argued that, due to the fact that Browning and his wife were heavily involved in the feminist movement at the time, feminist theory influenced his writing. The title of the poem, Porphyria’s lover, provides a unique perspective for a feminist interpretation with the focus of the poem on a female protagonist when most…

according to society, but in their eyes it might be a way to show affection towards others. “Porphyria's Lover,” by Robert Browning is a great example of insanity. The narrator of the poem is mentally ill and ends up committing a crime in the eyes of society, but according to him he saved his lover from going leaving him. The speaker was mentally ill, which is why he’s not guilty of murdering his lover. After realizing that Porphyria worships him, the speaker wants to stay with her, but the…

Porphyria’s Lover: The Euthanizer On first read of the poem “Porphyria’s Lover” by Robert Browning most would assume the speaker is simply insane for killing his lover. Upon further investigation one could also realize that this was a premeditated murder by the speaker, in an attempt to euthanize his love as she is sick with Porphyria. This verdict can be reached after considering the clues which indicate that Porphyria is sick and how the speaker behaves before and after the murder. “[The…

so, men take away the purpose of being. The persona simply declares Porphyria’s emotional state for her rather than allowing her to speak her mind which consequently leads to crushing her spirit along with her windpipe (41-42). It can be determined from this that men of the era were believed to be the only ones that were smart enough and had the capability to understand emotions ,especially something as serious as love. Porphyria’s life and how she feels toward the persona is undermined. In his…

In “Porphyria’s Lover” by Robert Browning, the narrator displays a bitter and passionate tone by the use of abbreviated words and long syntax. When Porphyria’s lover waits, he sits in a cold house listening to the storm. He tells us, “I listen’d with heart fit to break.”(5) The narrator waited expecting Porphyria not to come. He’s bitter towards her because he’s planning for her to stand him up. Her social status is above him and he believes that Porphyria’s desire for riches will keep her from…

commenting how her devotion ‘made my heart swell’ so he ‘wound’ her hair around her throat and ‘strangled her’. Literally, the narrator means he was overcome by his adoration for Porphyria and decided to show that by ending her life, as well as how Porphyria’s sincere confession has gotten her killed. These acts of love both clearly show how disastrous love can be. Metaphorically, the narrator could potentially be suggesting that love can only lead to ruin, especially seeing as during the…

the one that stands out the most is death. The theme death arises in the poem “Porphyria’s lover”, the short story “The Cask of Amontillado” and the drama Oedipus the King. Each one of these literary works illustrates death in a diverse way that makes the work unique, however they all ultimately include murder. The poem “Porphyria’s Lover” by Robert Browning tells a detailed story of…

leaves them questioning why the poem seems so ominous. Poems can convey the eerie and the disturbed, granted, each piece does so in their own way. Both Lord Tennyson and Robert Browning construct dark and haunting poems in The Lady of Shalott and Porphyria’s Lover, respectively. The two works cohesively build a mood that forces the reader to become enticed in the brooding tale that is told. Through the analysis of form, of imagery, and how the work affected its audience, both poems have become…