Porphyria's Lover

1. Porphyria's Lover Robert Browning

2. Robert Browning • Born in 1812, during the Victorian era • Liberal parents, who took a keen interest in his education and personal development • Wrote poetry from an early age • Hugely influenced by Percy Bysshe Shelley, a radical who wanted to change modern society • Wrote many famous dramatic monologues • Changes to the culture: • The population was increasing and cities expanded. • Newspapers made the public fearful with tales of crime and lust. • Many people lost faith in religion as various new scientific theories emerged, notably Darwin’s theory of evolution. • Masses of poverty, whilst extreme wealth existed for the minority

3. Madhouse Cell Porphyria's Lover 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; straightShe shut the cold out and the storm,And kneeled and made the cheerless grateBlaze up, and all the cottage warm;Which done, she rose, and from her formWithdrew the dripping cloak and shawl,And laid her soiled gloves by, untiedHer hat and let the damp hair fall,And, last, she sat down by my sideAnd 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---sheToo weak, for all her heart's endeavour,To set its struggling passion freeFrom pride, and vainer ties dissever,And give herself to me for ever.But passion sometimes would prevail,Nor could to-night's gay feast restrainA sudden thought of one so paleFor love of her, and all in vain: • So, she was come through wind and rain.Be sure I looked up at her eyesHappy and proud; at last I knewPorphyria worshipped me; surpriseMade my heart swell, and still it grewWhile I debated what to do.That moment she was mine, mine, fair,Perfectly pure and good: I foundA thing to do, and all her hairIn one long yellow string I woundThree times her little throat around,And strangled her. No pain felt she;I am quite sure she felt no pain.As a shut bud that holds a bee,I warily oped her lids: againLaughed the blue eyes without a stain.And I untightened next the tressAbout her neck; her cheek once moreBlushed bright beneath my burning kiss:I propped her head up as before,Only, this time my shoulder boreHer 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!Porphyria's love: she guessed not howHer 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! • Robert Browning

4. Porphyria’s Lover Quick Response The poem is a dramatic monologue in which the narrator confesses to a crime. • What is the crime? • Who is the criminal? • Who is the victim? • Where and when does the crime take place? • What is the motive? • What unusual weapon is used to commit this crime?

5. Is the poem what it seems? • How reliable is the narrator? • Bearing in mind the content of the poem, why might the narrator be unreliable? Discuss this in your groups… • Lying due to the nature of the crime? • Insane and no real grasp of reality? • ??? Any other reasons???

6. Unreliable Statements • How does the repetition of the claim in red make it less believable and why can’t it be true? • Bearing in mind what has happened to Porphyria, are her eyes likely to be without a stain? • Is it possible for her body to blush at the point indicated and why would he want us to believe that she was blushing? No pain felt she; I am quite sure she felt no pain. As a shut bud that holds a bee, I warily open 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: 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! • Find another description of her in this section which is an equally impossible description. • What does he believe that Porphyria’s ‘utmost will’ was? Find a quotation from the poem to support your idea

7. Pathetic Fallacy • Pathetic Fallacy is when a writer uses weather to suggest a character’s emotions or the mood of the story. • 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; straightShe shut the cold out and the storm,And kneeled and made the cheerless grateBlaze up, and all the cottage warm; • What do the green words have in common and what does this suggest about the narrator by the fact that he describes the weather in this way. • Technique used? • What does the blue word suggest about Porphyria?

8. Structure – no accident • Browning makes every detail of his poem work together to create a full picture of his speaker. Structure is one way of doing this. • Does this poem have verses and if so, how many? • Does it have a rhyme scheme or noticeable rhythm? • This poem does have a very particular structure, but it is hidden. • A people: count the number of syllables in each line and write the number at the end – pattern revealed? • B people: note the rhyme scheme on the poem and see if it naturally splits into verses – number of verses? Rhyme pattern in each verse? • C people: re-read the poem thinking about the plot. Mark an asterisk in the text where you believe the turning point is. It may not be at the end of a line. • D people: re-read the poem and lightly circle the word ‘and’ wherever it appears. Count how many t6imes it is used and how many times it is used to start a line.

9. Turning Point – “I found / a thing to do”Complete the table using quotations to support your ideas