1. Porphyria’s Lover- Browning 5 February, 2019
How would you describe the image of the female figure? Min 5 ambitious adjectives.
How is she feeling?
Why does the image focus on beauty and appearance?
Think about: Facial expression, body language, use of colour…
Mini Starter
Choose one image to focus on and answer the questions about the theme of gender.
Push yourself: pose your own questions about the image.
What is happening in this image?
How is the female figure feeling?
Explore how the theme of power is presented- How is it being demonstrated?
Background Image:
Must:
Understand and be able to thoughtfully explain the meaning and main themes of the poem.
(AO1)
Should:
Explore and consider multiple interpretations of the poem.
(AO1/AO2)
Could:
Analyse the language, form and structure of the poem.
(AO2)

2. Match the word to the meaning
Word in the poem
Meaning in context
sullen
fireplace
vex
cut off
grate
miserable, gloomy
endeavour
annoy, upset
vainer
win
dissever
strand of hair
prevail
worldly
warily
effort, attempt
tress
cautiously
scorned
opened
oped
greatest wish
utmost will
despised
Multiple Choice

3. Match the word to the meaning
Word in the poem
Meaning in context
sullen
vex
grate
endeavour
vainer
dissever
prevail
warily
tress
scorned
oped
utmost will
Higher Ability

4. Match the word to the meaning
Word in the poem
Meaning in context
sullen
vex
grate
endeavour
vainer
dissever
prevail
warily
tress
scorned
oped
utmost will
Higher Ability

5. The answers Word in the poem Meaning in context sullen
miserable, gloomy
vex
annoy, upset
grate
fireplace
endeavour
effort, attempt
vainer
worldly
dissever
cut off
prevail
win
warily
cautiously
tress
strand of hair
scorned
despised
oped
opened
utmost will
greatest wish

6. What is the poem about?
A man sits in his cold cottage on a stormy night. Porphyria, his lover, arrives and makes the cottage warm and comfortable, before sitting down next to him.
He ignores her while she’s flirting with him- he seems upset with her. However he decides that she loves him and that she belongs to him- he wants to preserve the moment, so he strangles her with her own hair. It’s clear that the speaker is mentally disturbed.
He opens her eyes and spends the rest of the night sitting with her dead body.

7. Using your highlighting,
Thoughts vs Actions
Take two colours and underline the voice of the poems:
Thoughts
Actions
Porphyria
a rare hereditary disease in which there is abnormal metabolism of the blood pigment haemoglobin.
Porphyrins are excreted in the urine, which becomes dark; other symptoms include mental disturbances and extreme sensitivity of the skin to light.
PAIR
Using your highlighting,
discuss the possible
motivations for the
killing of his lover?

8. Shared Analysis ?
What does his heart swell with? Pride? Happiness? Fear?
Why is he surprised?
Porphyria worshiped me; surprise Made my heart swell, and still it grew While I debated what to do That moment she was mine, mine, fair Perfectly pure and good: I found A thing to do ?
How does he feel about her?
What does the verb ‘debated’ suggest?
What does this suggest about his view of women? ?

9. This shows how the narrator is emotionally at breaking point and hints at his mental instability.
Pathetic Fallacy creates a threatening atmosphere
The rain set early in to-night,
The sullen wind was soon awake,
It tore the elm-tops down for spite,
And did its worst to vex the lake:
I listened with heart fit to break.
When glided in Porphyria; straight
This description makes Porphyria seem almost magical.

10. Enjambment creates unusual line breaks that reflect the speaker’s unstable mental state.
Porphyria seems to be powerful, positive force in the speaker’s life. Her actions contrast with the miserable weather.
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,
 And laid her soiled gloves by, untied
Her hat and let the damp hair fall,
Female sexuality was repressed in Victorian times, Porphyria is openly flaunting hers. Women who behaved like this were often labelled ‘fallen women’ - the use of the word “fall” draws attention to how Porphyria’s behaviour would have been seen as sinful.

11. His passivity is strange-he doesn’t speak and lets Porphyria arrange his body.
Female sexuality was repressed in Victorian times, Porphyria is openly flaunting hers. Women who behaved like this were often labelled ‘fallen women’ - the use of the word “fall” draws attention to how Porphyria’s behaviour would have been seen as sinful.
Repetition of “And” emphasises the calm way he’s chronologically recounting the events leading up to her murder.
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,
Murmuring how she loved me — she
Repetition of “yellow hair” shows his obsession with it . It foreshadows his using it to strangle her. Later in the poem.
“Murmuring” could suggest her tone is flirtatious, or that she doesn’t really mean what she says.

12. The narrator is critical of Porphyria’s lack of commitment to him
The narrator is critical of Porphyria’s lack of commitment to him. She may be from a higher social class than him – this situation could be difficult for her as her family might not approve of the relationship.
She’s left some kind of party to see him – this could show how much she wants to see him, but also hints that he isn’t part of her social activities.
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 for ever.
But passion sometimes would prevail,
Nor could to-night's gay feast restrain
A sudden thought of one so pale
For love of her, and all in vain:
So, she was come through wind and rain.
Be sure I looked up at her eyes
First time in the poem that the speaker takes action – signals a shift in the balance of passivity and activity between Porphyria and the speaker

13. The repetition of “mine” is disturbing and suspicious – it emphasises how he wants to possess her.
He wants to be loved by her and to have power over her.
Happy and proud; at last I knew
Porphyria worshipped me; surprise
Made my heart swell, and still it grew
While I debated what to do.
That moment she was mine, 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;
She’s come to be with him tonight and he’s convinced she loves him, so he wants her to preserve the moment.
This description of the murder is shocking because it’s unexpected and matter –of- fact - there’s no change in rhythm.

14. Ambiguity – this could mean there’s no evidence of his sin, that he thinks she doesn’t blame him for murdering her, or that there’s no stain on her honour because she didn’t have sex with him.
This is clearly not true – the reader now has reason to question everything he’s been saying .
I am quite sure she felt no pain.
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:
Seems unlikely that her eyes are laughing, so maybe her eyes weren’t “Happy and proud” in line 32 either.
He believes her red face (as a result of being strangled) is actually a blush from his passonate kiss – this shows that he’s deranged.
Juxtaposition shows the narrator’s love for Porphyria is passionate but also destructive.

15. Flower imagery reflects her beauty, but also depicts the speakers foolishness – flowers droop, just as this perfect moment will not last
Reversal of earlier in the poem – he’s now active and Porphyria 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!
He describes her as “it” – she’s just an object to him now.

16. This is disturbing – he’s sitting with the dead body.
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 that he hasn’t been punished, or perhaps he doesn’t believe that he’s committed a sin at all.

17. Feelings and Attitudes in the poem.
It becomes clear that the speaker is delusional- he believes that Porphyria wants to be murdered so she can be with him forever, so his reliability throughout the poem has to be questioned.
The first half of the poem describes Porphyria’s actions whilst her lover is passive. However, by killing her, the narrator makes Porphyria completely passive. She also seems passive during her murder – perhaps the narrator chose not to report any struggle, because to him it was a perfect moment.
The speaker comments that God hasn’t punished him for the murder – he either believes that he’s had a lucky escape, or, more worryingly, that he hasn’t committed a sin. Porphyria’s actions could also be seen as sinful – Victorians would have viewed a woman sneaking off to see her lover as immoral.

18. Your personal response to the poem.
Why do you think the speaker murders his lover?
Find an example of repetition in the poem. What effect does it have?
Do you think Porphyria loves the speaker? Does he love her?Explain your answers.
Key Themes
Longing is also presented as potentially destructive in the ‘Farmer’s Bride’. You could look at ‘Sonnet 29’ if you’re writing about longing, or Eden Rock’ to explore the idea of love enduring beyond death.

19. ANALYSING YOUR POEM Voice Ballad Tone Sonnet Symbolism Free verse
Structure
How is the piece organised on the page?
Can you identify the topic of each stanza?
Are the stanzas equal or unequal?
How many stanzas/verses?
Is there rhythm/repetition/enjambment?
What is the line length/rhyme scheme?
Effect
What effect on the reader is the poet aiming to achieve?
(How is it intended to make you think/feel?)
What opinion is conveyed by the poet?
What is the purpose of the poet’s choice of language/opinion/theme?
Meaning
What is the poem about?
Can you discover more than one meaning of the poem?
What ideas and themes is the poet portraying?
What is the poet’s point of view?
Voice
Tone
Ballad
Sonnet
Free verse
Dramatic monologue
Symbolism
Alliteration
Assonance
Juxtaposition
Oxymoron
S.M.I.L.E
Simile
Extended Metaphor
Personification
Rhyming Couplet
Enjambment
Emotive Language
Repetition
Language
Which words has the poet used to convey meaning?
What are the connotations of the language used?
Is there more than one meaning of the word/phrase?
Has the poet used figurative language? (onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance…)
How has the poet used language to infer meaning?
Imagery
Which images are conveyed to the reader?
Does the poem contain metaphors, similes or personification?
Why do you think the poet has included the images in the poem?

20. Reflection: SMILE Paragraph
Point:
Topic sentence with an adjective.
Evidence:
Quotation- try to embed it in the sentence.
Explain:
Select a keyword- why does it stand out?
What is the effect on the reader?
Language Analysis-
Analyse what the word suggests &
how it links back to the adjective.
This suggests…
The use of the word… implies that…
This infers… The poet was trying to convey
The writer wanted to suggest…
The connotations of this word are…
Word Bank

21. Reflection: Is the voice of the poem an unreliable narrator?
How does only hearing his side of the incident effect the reader?
Walkway Image: