Porphyria’s Lover by

Robert Browning
Thinking about what you know about
the poem so far why do you think the
speaker killed Porphyria.

• You must know the narrative to the poem.

• You should analyse the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and
Juliet
 Learning Objectives

• You must known the narrative to the

poem.
• You should analyze the psychology of
the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem
to the play Romeo and Juliet
 The trial of
Robert Browning
Today we will work out:

• Why the speaker killed

Porphyria with evidence to
prove it.

• What his punishment

should be.
• You must known the narrative to the poem.
• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
 Summary/Context

“Porphyria’s Lover,” which first appeared in 1836,

is one of the earliest and most shocking of
Browning’s dramatic monologues. The speaker
lives in a cottage in the countryside. His lover, a
blooming young woman named Porphyria, comes
in out of a storm and proceeds to make a fire and
bring cheer to the cottage. She embraces the
speaker, offering him her bare shoulder.
• You must known the narrative to the poem.
• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
 Summary/Context cont...
He tells us that he does not speak to her.
Instead, he says, she begins to tell him how
she has momentarily overcome societal
structures to be with him. He realizes that she
“worship[s]” him at this instant. Realizing that
she will eventually give in to society’s
pressures, and wanting to preserve the
moment, he wraps her hair around her neck
and strangles her.
• You must known the narrative to the poem.
• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
 Summary/Context cont...

He then toys with her corpse, opening the

eyes and propping the body up against his
side. He sits with her body this way the entire
night, the speaker remarking that God has not
yet moved to punish him.

• You must known the narrative to the poem.

• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
 Weather...

“rain set early”

“sullen wind... for

spite,
and did its worst to vex the lake”
• You must known the narrative to the poem.
• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
 Browning uses
pathetic fallacy to
convey (show) the
mood of the speaker.
• You must known the narrative to the poem.
• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
 Evidence

I listened with heart fit to

break.

What could that show about his psychology?

Point
Evidence
Analysis!
• You must known the narrative to the poem.
• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
 The juxtapositioning of(way
he puts side by side) the
harsh, stormy weather with
Porphyria’s return to the
cottage emphasizes...
• You must known the narrative to the poem.
• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
 “glided in
Porphyria”

Porphyria
• You must known the narrative to the poem.
• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
 “made the cheerless grate
Blaze up, and all the cottage warm”

• You must known the narrative to the poem.

• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
 L.O. To understand and evaluate
poetry
Dramatic Monologue
A fictional speech presented as the musings of a
speaker who is separate from the poet.
A dramatic monologue is written to reveal both
the situation at hand and the character
themself.
 L.O. To understand and evaluate
poetry
The poem’s character or voice.
What is this man like?

What actions does he make/do?

What are his thoughts/feelings?

 L.O. To understand and evaluate
poetry
Themes
What are the themes or symbols from this
poem?

How do they link to Romeo and Juliet?

Yellow Hair
The Storm
Eyes
The fire
 L.O. To understand and evaluate
poetry
What is the mood of this poem?

What effects create this mood?

Use the Studying Poetry sheet and complete the
language questions for the poem
Choice of Words and Phrases
• Which words and phrases stand out as a particularly important?
• Which are especially effective or surprising?
• What are the subtle, suggestive meanings?
• Which words have a strong impact?
• What images are created by descriptive vocabulary, similes and metaphors?
• Do any words involve the senses?
• Does the vocabulary evoke a mood or atmosphere in the poem?
• Does the vocabulary create tension or contrasts in the poem?
Sentences, word order, punctuation
• Are there grammatical patterns or features that stand out in the poem?
• Are there repetitions, line-divisions or features of punctuation that clarify or confuse the
meaning?
• How complex or simple is the language?
• Are there any sound patterns worthy of comment – onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance,
rhythm or rhymes?
• How does the whole poem relate to its title?
• How does the poem relate to the voice and setting of the poem?
 Romantic Imagery
What does the speaker think about Porphyria
through his use of Romantic Imagery?

o Her beauty
o His feelings towards her
o Find a quote to support
How does this relate to Romeo and Juliet

• You must known the narrative to the poem.

• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
Find three quotes
that allude to a
sexual
relationship?
“smooth
white
shoulder
bare”
necrophilia
 “Porphyria worshiped me”

Religios aspect to
poem. How does this
relate to Romeo and
Juliet’s Sonnet in Act
•
•
You must known the narrative to the poem.
You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
1 Scene 3?
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
 That moment she was mine, mine,
fair,

What does the

use of
repetition
suggest?
• You must known the narrative to the poem.
• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
at last I knew
Porphyria worshipped me; surprize
Made my heart swell, and still it grew
While I debated what to do.
 Description of the act of
violence

“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.”

• You must known the narrative to the poem.

• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
 “As a shut bud that holds a bee”

• You must known the narrative to the poem.

• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
 “her cheek once more
Blushed bright beneath my burning kiss”

“Laughed the blue eyes without a stain”

• You must known the narrative to the poem.
• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
 I propped her head up as before
Only, this time my shoulder bore
Her head, which droops upon it still:

• You must known the narrative to the poem.

• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
 And thus we sit together now,
And all night long we have not stirred,
And yet God has not said a word!

Or resentful:
is he wanting
judgement?

• You must known the narrative to the poem.

• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
 Form
“Porphyria’s Lover,” while natural in its language,
does not use the colloquialisms of some of
Browning’s later poems.

While the flow of the poem mimics natural

speech, it actually takes the form of highly
patterned verse, rhyming ABABB.

The strict rhyme scheme suggests that the speech

may not be as natural as it first appears and there
may be some madness within the lines!
• You must known the narrative to the poem.
• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
 Form/Structure cont..
This poem is a dramatic monologue—a
fictional speech presented as the musings of a
speaker who is separate from the poet. Like
most of Browning’s other dramatic
monologues, this one captures a moment
after a main event or action. Porphyria already
lies dead when the speaker begins. Just as the
nameless speaker seeks to stop time by killing
her, so too does this kind of poem seek to
freeze the consciousness of an instant.
• You must known the narrative to the poem.
• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
 Why did he kill her?
In your groups choose one of these statements
that your agree with and one that you don’t.

Present both as an argument for and against the

ideas.

• Conclude by giving me your idea and reason!

• You must known the narrative to the poem.

• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet
 Compare the two texts!

Commit Suicide due to the loss of each other

Link the scene and the poem with your ideas.

The speaker in Porphyria’s Lover. Kills his lover

because……..

• You must known the narrative to the poem.

• You should analyze the psychology of the character in the poem.
• You could relate the themes of the poem to the play Romeo and Juliet