1. ‘Porphyria’s Lover’
Robert Browning

2. Robert Browning Born in London in 1812 to a deeply religious mother
Father – bank clerk, who collected books – he had over 6000 of them
At 12 he wrote his first poetry collection
Lived with parents until he was 33
Considered an expert in the dramatic monologue poem
Many of his characters reflected the moral decay of Victorian society
In 1844 read poems by Elizabeth Barrett – he wrote to her and they started to write to each other regularly
They met and fell in love, but as she was ill, her father was very protective – he had forbidden her to ever get married
In 1846 they got married in secret and ran away to Italy where they had a son
She died in 1861 and he returned to England
He died in 1889

3. Porphura is the Greek word for purple - royalty
Some helpful context…
Porphyria
A disease that can affect the nervous system or the skin.
Causes urine to turn blue.
Sometimes named ‘The Royal Disease’ as it has been linked to many of the Royal family down the years.
There are many symptoms including madness and inevitably, a long and painful death.
In 1836 the poem was published under the name Porphyria and in 1842 changed to Madhouse Cells. In 1863 it was changed again to Porphyria's Lover.
Porphura is the Greek word for purple - royalty

4. Pathetic Fallacy creates an ominous and threatening atmosphere - seems to reflect his dark mood
Personification
The rain set early in tonight,  The sullen wind was soon awake,  It tore the elm-tops down for spite,  and did its worst to vex the lake: 
STRUCTURE: Speaker looking back
STRUCTURE: First four lines are setting the scene

5. She sounds almost magical
Also challenges Victorian ideals of women, as she is alone
This hints at his mental instability; he is emotionally at breaking point
I listened with heart fit to break.  When glided in Porphyria; straight  She shut the cold out and the storm,  And kneeled and made the cheerless grate  Blaze up, and all the cottage warm; 
Kneeling suggests submission
Brings brightness, warmth and passion to the room.
STRUCTURE: Her actions contrast with the miserable weather
Almost what is expected of a woman in the Victorian era

6. ‘fallen woman’ - sinful Shocking in the Victorian era
Enjambment – it is an unusual line break – reflects the speaker’s unusual mental state
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, 
Represents the repressed female sexuality. She is openly flaunting hers
‘fallen woman’ - sinful
Shocking in the Victorian era

7. Whole scene is seductive
‘fallen women’ again
Shows his passivity. He doesn’t speak and lets her arrange his body – is he angry?
He ignores her
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, 
Repetition of yellow hair – shows his obsession. STRUCTURE: Foreshadows what will happen.
STRUCTURE: ‘And’ – repetition. Shows how calmly he is recounting the events leading up to the murder
Whole scene is seductive

8. Does she really mean it?
He sees her as weak
Murmuring how she loved me—she  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 forever. 
Dissever – break away
He is critical of her lack of commitment.
Is she from a higher class?
Do her family not approve?

9. Is she a higher social class?
But passion sometimes would prevail,  Nor could tonight’s gay feast restrain  A sudden thought of one so pale  For love of her, and all in vain: 
Is she a higher social class?
She’s left a party to see him – does she love him, or is he not part of her social activities?

10. He wants to be loved by her – enjoying the idea of power?
This is the first time that he takes action. There is a move from passivity to action.
He wants to be loved by her – enjoying the idea of power?
So, she was come through wind and rain.  Be sure I looked up at her eyes  Happy and proud; at last I knew  Porphyria worshiped me: surprise  Made my heart swell, and still it grew  While I debated what to do. 

11. STRUCTURE: Repetition of possessive pronoun– disturbing and suspicious
STRUCTURE: Repetition of possessive pronoun– disturbing and suspicious. It emphasises how he wants to possess her.
He wants to preserve that moment
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;  I am quite sure she felt no pain. 
It Shocking because it is unexpected.
STRUCTURE: There is also no change in rhythm
He repeats this to reassure himself – clearly not the case!
STRUCTURE: Caesura emphasises the sudden and final nature
STRUCTURE: Anastrophe – words in an unusual order
Uneasiness

12. Simile – he is afraid of what he will see when he opens her eyelids
Almost like a living doll
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: 
Unlikely that her eyes are laughing
Alliteration
Hard sound
STRUCTURE: Juxtaposition – shows that love is passionate, but also destructive
He thinks she is blushing from his kiss – sounds as if he is deranged

13. Flower imagery – reflects her beauty, but also shows this perfect moment won’t last
STRUCTURE: Reversal – he is active and she 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! 
In her mind he has given her what she wanted – to be with him forever
‘it’ and ‘its’ shows that she has become just an object – she is now the ultimate passive object

14. He sounds almost gleeful
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!
This is disturbing as we realise that she has been dead for the whole poem
He sounds almost gleeful
Ambiguity – could be surprised he hasn’t been punished or perhaps he doesn’t believe he has committed a sin at all

15. Structure and form
Dramatic monologue – not the poet speaking. It is his point of view, so is he therefore telling us everything?
One continuous stanza
No breaks
Because it is continuous, we don’t anticipate the murder
Active/passive - shifts
Seems like a romantic setting and style so the ending shocks us

16. Structure and form
Rhymes – seems to give the poem a romantic quality, but if we look closely all is not as it seems
When glided in Porphyria; straight 
       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, 
Breaks away from the alternate rhyme scheme we expected
Creates a sense of unease

17. Mental instability
Powerful
Ominous
Threatening
Enjambment
Sinful
Calm
Repetition
Foreshadows
Passivity
Pathetic Fallacy
Personification
Repressed
Control
Simile
Juxtaposition
Ambiguity
Madness
Dramatic monologue
Violence
Power
Anastrophe
Mental instability
Powerful
Ominous
Threatening
Enjambment
Sinful
Calm
Repetition
Foreshadows
Passivity
Pathetic Fallacy
Personification
Repressed
Control
Simile
Juxtaposition
Ambiguity
Madness
Dramatic monologue
Violence
Power
Anastrophe
Mental instability
Powerful
Ominous
Threatening
Enjambment
Sinful
Calm
Repetition
Foreshadows
Passivity
Pathetic Fallacy
Personification
Repressed
Control
Simile
Juxtaposition
Ambiguity
Madness
Dramatic monologue
Violence
Power
Anastrophe
Mental instability
Powerful
Ominous
Threatening
Enjambment
Sinful
Calm
Repetition
Foreshadows
Passivity
Pathetic Fallacy
Personification
Repressed
Control
Simile
Juxtaposition
Ambiguity
Madness
Dramatic monologue
Violence
Power
Anastrophe