1. Robert Browning
“Porphyria’s Lover”

2. Robert Browning: Biography
Pauline pub. at age 21
Married poet Elizabeth Barrett in 1846
Elizabeth died in 1861
1869: The Ring and the Book pub.
Considered one of the great Victorian poets

3. Dramatic Monologue
Poem in which a single character (not the poet) delivers a speech
Speaker indirectly reveals his or her situation and character
A silent listener is often implied

4. What is Porphyria?
Archaic term for the color “purple” (Greek porphura, meaning “purple pigment”)
A disease characterized by overproduction of porphyrins
Causes urine to appear purple
Hallucinations, anxiety, depression, paranoia
Seizures
Abdominal pain
Receding gums
Pale skin
Famous cases: George III, King of England; Mary, Queen of Scots; Vincent Van Gogh; King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon

5. “Porphyria’s Lover” Appeared in 1836 Earliest dramatic monologue
ABABB rhyme scheme
Iambic tetrameter
Tableau vivant