Porphyria’s Lover

1. Porphyria’s Lover Larraneka Joyce & Shelly Harris Mrs.johnson, English 4, 5th Period April 9, 2013

2. Introduction • “Porphyria’s Lover” • Written by Robert Browning • The unknown narrator of the poem sits by himself in his house on a stormy night. Porphyria, the speaker lover, arrives from the storm and begins to get undressed and comfortable. She sits to cuddle under the speaker and passion takes it place. The narrator realizes how much Porphyria loves him and decides not to take a chance of letting the moment of passion end. He strangles her with her own hair and sits still with her body the rest of the night. • The poem is mostly made of imagery, but does consist of metaphors, alliteration, and similes. Ex: About her neck; her cheek once more Blushed bright beneath my burning kiss • The thesis is she will love him forever. People fall in and out love all the time. So he felt proud of himself, for she died in love with him. And in his heart she will love him always granted she is no longer living.

3. Theme & Tone • The theme of the poem is love can make you do crazy things. • The poem is mostly made of imagery, but does consist of metaphors, alliteration, and similes. • Ex: About her neck; her cheek once more Blushed bright beneath my burning kiss

4. Figurative Language & Poetic Devices • The poet uses figurative language to describe how strong the passion was between himself and Porphyria. He wants the audience to get a picture how life changing the moment was for him. He is very detailed with the killing of his lover Porphria. • Ex: Too weak, for all her heart’s endeavor, To set its struggling passion free From pride, and vainer ties dissever, And give herself to me forever. Ex: 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. • The poet uses poetic devices to put humor in the poem so the audience can understand how the narrator is not taking the fact he murdered his lover as a evil thing, rather he is taking it as he had a right to take her. The poetic devices shows how the tone went from happy and proud to evil, controlling, and selfishness. • Ex: I warily oped her lids: again Laughed the blue eyes without a stain • Ex: 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!

5. Poem Interpretation • The poem says that “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. 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. As a shut bud that holds a bee,” • He realizes that she worships him at that 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.

6. Conclusion • The thesis is she will love him forever. People fall in and out love all the time. So he felt proud of himself, for she died in love with him. And in his heart she will love him always granted she is no longer living. • Mood, theme, figurative language, and poetic devices contribute to the meaning of the poem because it help guide us through the poem and understand what was going on.

7. Work Cited • http://www.biography.com/people/robert-browning-9228980