Porphyria’s Lover (AQA GCSE English Literature)

Porphyria’s Lover

Each poetry anthology at GCSE contains 15 poems, and in your exam question you will be given one poem - printed in full - and asked to compare this printed poem to another. As this is a closed-book exam, you will not have access to the second poem, so you will have to know it from memory. Fifteen poems is a lot to revise. However, understanding four things will enable you to produce a top-grade response:

• The meaning of the poem

• The ideas and messages of the poet 

• How the poet conveys these ideas through their methods

• How these ideas compare and contrast with the ideas of other poets in the anthology

Below is a guide to Robert Browning’s poem 'Porphyria’s Lover', from the Love and Relationships anthology. It includes:

• Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations

• Writer’s methods: an exploration of the poet’s techniques and methods

• Context: an exploration of the context of the poem, relevant to its themes

• What to compare it to: ideas about which poems to compare it to in the exam

Overview

In order to answer an essay question on any poem it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:

• The poem in a nutshell

• A ‘translation’ of the poem, section-by-section

• A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Browning’s intention and message

'Porphyria’s Lover' in a nutshell

'Porphyria’s Lover', written by the Victorian poet Robert Browning in 1836, is a dark dramatic monologue. Browning’s persona describes the night he strangles his lover, Porphyria, as a result of his complex emotions and jealous desire.

Porphyria’s Lover overview

Lines 1-4

“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:”

Translation

• The poem begins by describing the night Porphyria visits

Browning’s intention

• Browning personifies nature as angry, which sets an ominous and violent scene

• The descriptions suggests disharmony within nature, reflecting his own mood

Lines 5-7

“I listened with heart fit to break.

When glided in Porphyria; straight

She shut the cold out and the storm,” 

Translation

• The speaker tells readers of his broken heart

• He suggests, however, that when Porphyria arrives, this changes 

Browning’s intention

• Here, the speaker suggests painful emotions, reflected by the dark storm outside

• However, the arrival of his lover seems to bring relief as she closes the door on the storm 

  • It is worth noting that Porphyria is a disease which brings hallucinations

  • The reference to her “gliding” creates a supernatural quality to her character which could indicate a vision or sense of jealous madness

Lines 8-9

“And kneeled and made the cheerless grate

Blaze up, and all the cottage warm;”

Translation

• The speaker describes how Porphyria immediately lit a fire 

Browning’s intention

• These lines narrate Porphyria’s actions as cheering the speaker, suggesting she brings warmth, or intense desire within him

Line 10-13

“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,”

Translation

• Here, the speaker describes in detail how Porphyria begins to take off her wet clothing  

Browning’s intention 

• The speaker seems to be transfixed by Porphyria’s actions, suggesting she is in control of the situation; she is active while he passively watches

  • This is not typical of love poems of the era, and challenges gender stereotypes

Lines 14-15

“And, last, she sat down by my side

 And called me. When no voice replied,”

Translation

• The speaker tells readers Porphyria finally joins him

• She speaks but he does not reply

Browning’s intention

• Here, Browning alerts readers to the way the speaker is watching Porphyria rather than communicating with her, showing the complex imbalance of their relationship

Lines 16-20

“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,”

Translation

• The speaker lists the actions of Porphyria: she frees her hair and clothes, places his cheek on her shoulder and covers his face with her hair

Browning’s intention

• Browning alludes to Porphyria as in control here, showing her actions as deliberate and independent of his own choices

• By suggesting she is acting flirtatiously Browning presents a woman as leading the seduction, subverting social norms

Lines 21-25

“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 for ever.”

Translation

• The speaker explains how Porphyria whispers of her love for him, yet is still unable to commit

• He explains that despite her feelings, she is tied to another

• Her “pride” and “vainer ties” allude to her status and reputation (probably through marriage) which she refuses to give up to be with him

Browning’s intention

• The speaker is aware of Porphyria’s passion and desire for him

• The speaker’s emotions begin to get the better of him as he begins to consider her weaknesses (her lack of commitment to him) which he sees as vain

• This presents his jealousy as stronger than his love for her

Lines 26-30

“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.”

Translation

• Browning’s speaker explains that Porphyria could not resist coming to see him, despite a special occasion which she has left for him and the bad weather

• He suggests she thought of him, “pale” with frustrated love for her

Browning’s intention

• The speaker appears to be aware of Porphyria’s passion for him, aware of what she is giving up

  • However, he suggests she feels pity for him

Lines 31-35

“Be sure I looked up at her eyes

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.”

Translation

• Browning’s speaker tells readers that he is pleased to learn how much she loves him

• However, despite his pleasure at her love for him, it makes him happier to consider how to deal with the situation

Browning’s intention

• His use of the word “worshipped” presents the extreme desire and imbalance within the relationship which grows as he decides what to do about it

  • He confirms that he takes pleasure in his control of her

• Browning hints at the speaker’s sense of pride, suggesting his narcissism rather than feelings of love for her

• The speaker is rational in the midst of her seduction, shifting the power back to the speaker and alluding to the disharmony of their relationship

Lines 36-38

“That moment she was mine, mine, fair,

Perfectly pure and good: I found

A thing to do, and all her hair”

Translation

• Browning’s speaker sees Porphyria as his possession, and is now beautiful and pure

• Amid this passion, the speaker decides what to do about the situation

Browning’s intention

• The speaker shows his excitement at her desire and how his possession of her helps him decide what to do, suggesting a dark narcissism

• Browning presents possessive and jealous love

Lines 39-40

“In one long yellow string I wound

Three times her little throat around,”

Translation

• Browning’s speaker explains how he begins to strangle Porphyria 

Browning’s intention

• The calm and deliberate tone here presents the control and power of the speaker

• The speaker emphasises her small stature to present her physical vulnerability and shock readers at his abuse of power

Lines 41-42

“And strangled her. No pain felt she;

 I am quite sure she felt no pain.”

Translation

• Browning’s speaker explains how he strangles Porphyria and assures himself she was not hurt

Browning’s intention

• Browning begins to present an unstable narrator to emphasise the speaker’s madness and delusion evoked by jealous love

  • The speaker justifies his actions by repeating she is not hurt

Lines 43-45

“As a shut bud that holds a bee,

 I warily oped her lids: again

 Laughed the blue eyes without a stain.”

 Translation

• Browning’s speaker compares Porphyria’s closed eyes to a flower

  • His reference to a bee suggests a ‘sting’, presenting his anger towards her 

• He believes her eyes have not changed, despite death 

Browning’s intention

• The speaker again shows his cruel madness as he pretends she is alive

• He describes his actions as natural and loving, although the image is violent

  • Browning connects passion with death and danger, presenting complex and destructive relationships

Lines 46-48

“And I untightened next the tress

About her neck; her cheek once more

Blushed bright beneath my burning kiss:”

Translation

• Browning’s speaker now takes off the string from his lover’s neck and kisses her cheek

  • He believes she responds to this, even though she is dead  

Browning’s intention

• The speaker continues his calm narration, showing he is unmoved by the violence

• Browning presents a sinister image of the speaker, showing his unstable and dangerous emotions

Lines 49-51

“I propped her head up as before,

Only, this time my shoulder bore

Her head, which droops upon it still:”

Translation

• Browning’s speaker describes how Porphyria’s lifeless head leans on his shoulder, but this time, she has not placed it there 

Browning’s intention

• The speaker seems to take pleasure in his ability to control her movements, suggesting his abuse of power and the danger of a power imbalance in relationships

Lines 52-55

“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!”

 Translation

• Browning’s speaker sees Porphyria as if she is still alive and happy

• He explains that now she is dead her worries are over and have been replaced by his love

Browning’s intention

• The speaker’s denial reinforces his destructive behaviour as a result of desire and jealousy

• His arrogance and delusion is presented through his belief that she has benefited from her death: she now has his eternal love

Lines 56-57

“Porphyria's love: she guessed not how

Her darling one wish would be heard.”

Translation

• Browning’s speaker believes that he has made her wish come true as she is now forever with him 

Browning’s intention

• Browning’s speaker presents his pleasure at the power he has over her: he seems to have enjoyed surprising her  

• The speaker’s jealousy leads him to cruel delusion

Lines 57-59

“And thus we sit together now,

 And all night long we have not stirred,

 And yet God has not said a word!”

Translation

• Browning’s speaker completes his tale explaining he has spent the night with Porphyria’s dead body and nothing has happened, so God must have accepted it 

Browning’s intention

• The speaker’s insanity is clear as the poem ends, showing desire and jealousy leading to tragedy

• Browning’s speaker ends the poem suggesting, arrogantly, that he has got away with murder: his blasphemous statement suggests God accepts his actions

Writer’s Methods

Although this section is organised into three separate sections - form, structure and language - it is always best to move from what the poet is presenting (the techniques they use; the overall form of the poem; what comes at the beginning, middle and end of a poem) to how and why they have made the choices they have. 

Focusing on the poet’s overarching ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. Crucially, in the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes Browning’s intentions behind his choices in terms of:

• Form

• Structure

• Language

Form

'Porphyria’s Lover' is presented as a chronological story, written in the form of a dramatic monologue. Typical of Robert Browning’s monologues, the speaker seems to tell a story to a silent listener, revealing his speaker’s twisted nature and attitude to love through a dominant, yet unstable voice.

Structure

The poem follows a long stream of consciousness as the speaker lists each action of the deadly night. However, his unstable voice suggests the extreme emotions of the speaker and this presents a dangerous and destructive love.

'Language

Browning’s poem, Porphyria’s Lover', uses imagery which presents the power dynamic and tense emotions within a strained affair. He comments on destructive relationships by illustrating the thoughts and brutal actions of a jealous and insecure lover.

Context

Examiners repeatedly state that context should not be considered as additional factual information: in this case, it is not random biographical information about Robert Browning or the Victorian era which is unrelated to the ideas in 'Porphyria’s Lover'. The best way to understand context is as the ideas and perspectives explored by Browning in 'Porphyria’s Lover' that relate to love and relationships. This section has therefore been divided into two relevant themes that Browning explores:

• Imbalanced and complex relationships

• Destructive love

Imbalanced and complex relationships

• 'Porphyria’s Lover', by Victorian poet Robert Browning, was written at a time when British society favoured relationships which were respectable and kept to a strict code of conduct:

  • Relationships and marriages within the upper class were often contractual, based on status and social mobility

  • This led to a dark and hidden world where desires outside of these strict marriages were enacted in secret

  • In this poem, Browning depicts a forbidden affair between an upper-class woman and the speaker, whom Browning implies is of a lower status or class

  • However, the poem presents the tragic consequences of the jealousy and insecurity of the speaker, challenging the nature of imbalanced relationships caused by strict social codes

• Browning’s poem was written at a time when British society frowned upon and repressed female sexuality

  • The poem depicts a flirtatious and unfaithful woman who, despite her love for him, is punished for her sexual freedom

  • Browning conveys the powerful emotions of the speaker, confused and excited by her desire for him but simultaneously repelled by her unfaithfulness, to challenge readers’ values regarding gender

Destructive Love

• Browning‘s poem, 'Porphyria’s Lover', illustrates the close connection between sex and violence at a time when relationships were constrained by strict social rules:

  • Marriages which were arranged within upper-class society often led to passionate affairs conducted in secret, such as in the poem

  • Browning alludes to the hidden nature of forbidden love as dangerous:

    • He shows a vulnerable woman murdered and left with her murderer all night 

• Browning challenges a typically religious Victorian reader to consider values relating to Christianity and female sexuality: 

  • In the Victorian era, British society condemned female promiscuity and considered sexual desire among women as sinful:

    • Porphyria is seductive and flirtatious with her lover

    • In the poem, the murderer believes he is sinless when he has punished the woman for her sexual transgression and vanity

    • His blasphemous exclamation at the end of the poem is a shocking commentary on how the speaker justifies his violence in the name of religion

What to compare it to

The essay you are required to write in your exam is a comparison of the ideas and themes explored in two of your anthology poems. It is therefore essential that you revise the poems together, in pairs, to understand how each poet presents ideas about love or relationships, in comparison to other poets in the anthology. Given that Porphyria’s Lover explores the ideas of complex relationships, destructive love and desire, the following comparisons are the most appropriate:

• 'Porphyria’s Lover' and 'Love’s Philosophy' 

• 'Porphyria’s Lover' and 'Sonnet 29 – I think of thee!’ 

• 'Porphyria’s Lover' and 'The Farmer’s Bride'

For each pair of poems, you will find:

• The comparison in a nutshell

• Similarities between the ideas presented in each poem

• Differences between the ideas presented in each poem

• Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences

Porphyria’s Lover and Love’s Philosophy

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both Browning’s Porphyria’s Lover and Shelley’s Love’s Philosophy convey the speaker’s intense feelings, as well as a sense of intention and power, in their response to desire. However, Browning’s obsessive narrator depicts possessive and destructive love, while Shelley’s speaker explores natural abandonment and the power of unity.

Similarities:

Differences:

'Porphyria’s Lover' and 'Sonnet 29 – I think of thee!’ 

Comparison in a nutshell:

This is an effective comparative choice to explore desire and longing within complex romantic relationships. Both Robert Browning’s Porphyria’s Lover and Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnet 29 - ‘I think of thee!’ consider physical unity as a natural part of love, and present strong emotions when this is denied them.

Similarities:

Differences:

Porphyria’s Lover and The Farmer’s Bride

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both Browning’s Porphyria’s Lover and Mew’s The Farmer’s Bride convey powerful feelings of frustrated desire in romantic relationships. They both suggest a power imbalance which leads to aggression.

Similarities:

Differences: