‘Porphyria’s Lover’ ENG Essay

How does Robert Browning present the theme of love in Porphyria’s lover? Kushagar Maini 10!K  "Porphyria’s lover’# first appearing in 1$%& is a dramati' monologue written by poet# Robert Browning(He e)plores an un'onventional love poem(*he poem 'onsists of a series of events# whi'h o''ur between Porphyria# the female lover and a paranoid# anonymous male( +s the 'hara'ter narrates through the poem# he unintentionally reveals aspe'ts to a'hieve his love( ,ltimately# his obsession ta-es Porphyria’s life( Browning’s use of dramati' falla'ies# .i'torian 'lass stru'ture# 'ontrasts of warmth and 'old as well as the ideology of a delusion 'ontribute towards presenting the obsessive theme of love( /n the opening lines of the monologue# Browning with the use of a patheti' falla'y# mirrors the emotions felt by the anonymous lover( *he sullen wind whi'h tries to ve) the wind# a''ompanied by aggressive terminology su'h as tore and spite#  personify the man’s emotions( emotions( Here# the ad2e'tive sullen may refer to the narrator  being in a state of depression( *he verb ve) implies that he is 'onfused and and or tired of waiting( 3onfusion may also be formed due to the narrator 4uestioning himself on Porphyria’s arrival or whether she has attempted to es'ape( +lso# the terms tore and spite hint towards the anger brewing within him# foretelling events in the poem( 5ue to the one who he longs for# the one who he love Porphyria has not yet arrived mi)ed feelings of depression# aggression and 'onfusion arise within the male( *herefore# Browning presents the theme of love by portraying through the patheti' falla'y # the importan'e of Porphyria in the narrator6s life( urther on in the poem# Porphyria’s arrival triggers a ma2or 'hange in both the atmosphere of the monologue and narrator’s tone( or instan'e# the 4uotations#  'heerless grate7Bla8e and shut(( 'old out(( storm# display the sudden transformation of mood in the monologue( *he 'heerless grate# indi'ates to his earlier depressed heart# from a metaphori'al point of view( *he female lover# shuts the 'old out# this implies that the feelings of sorrow and loneliness in the man prior to the meeting are  being shut out( /n literal terms though# she shuts the door door and windows# preventing the 'old from prevailing in( 5ue to the presen'e of Porphyria# life 'ame into both the 'ottage as well as the man( 9verall# the female is shown to bring warmth and light into the 'ottage as earlierit was a dar- and 'old room( By ma-ing use of the 'lassi' 'ontrast between warmth and 'old 7dar- and light present the narrator6s 'ontrasting feelings( 9n the other hand# Browning show'ases the beliefs of the .i'torian 'ommunity as an obsta'le between the lovers# forbidding their togetherness( *his is implied when the narrator 4uotes Her hearts endeavor7((( vainer ties dissever7 to me forever( *he 4uote vainer ties dissever refers to the .i'torian so'ial 'lass stru'ture( :ithin the .i'torian so'iety rules # it is stated that a man or woman are restri'ted to marry not  beyond his or her own 'lass( 3learly# a woman with the beauty li-e Porphyria6s Porphyria6s is  bound to be of a higher 'lass whereas her lover# the one who besides in a 'ottage is not( Hen'e# 'larifying the need for their meeting to be in isolation( /n .i'torian times# a woman 'ould not imagine es'aping her 'ommunity to visit a man in isolation(

However# Porphyria defies this rule and se'retly travels to the 'ottage( +lthough# her love supposedly is her heart’s endeavor# she due to her tea'hings# values# traditions and ran- in so'iety prohibits herself from fulfilling her endeavor( *herefore# Porphyria 'an never be the narrator’s( Browning# writes here only about the true reality of the .i'torian times# the period in whi'h he lived in(+lthough# the .i'torian rules were 'learly a barrier between their love# Porphyria does not abide by them( *his 'onveys to the reader to the e)tent Porphyria was willing to go to meet her lover( Hen'e# the displaying the power within their love(

/n order to posses Porphyria # the narrator for'es upon himself a delusional mindset# leading into her -illing( *he 4uotation whi'h portrays his delusional mindset are smiling# rosy head and had its utmost will( His un'ertainty is displayed by the 4uotes  4uite sure she felt no pain( *he reader is mostly bewildered due to his assumption of her desire to be -illed( 9bviously# the narrator in his own mind posses his thoughts as if they were Porphyria’s( /n essen'e# the narrator is tri'-ed by his own mind but he is the one who allows it to( Browning des'ribes Porphyria’s on line ;<# after her death as being a smiling rosy head( *his is dire'tly related to delusoin in# as he is 'onfident towards the -illing and assumes that now supposedly# Porphyria is  pleased with him# e)presssing it as a smile( /n reality however# her des'ription best fits to the fa'ial e)pression those who suffered from strangulation# whi'h the male e)e'utes with the use of her own hair( Browning’s belief# of Porphyria having her utmost will# displays his firm belief in her wanting to be -illed( +lso# the lover# after  her death is redu'ed to an it# implying that she is only an ob2e't# a possesion of whi'h he is now the owner of( Browning therfore# presents a love so passionate that it steers the male into a delusional mindset to su'h an e)tent that he is prepared to strangle his lover( *o 'on'lude# Robert Browning’s dramati' monolgue is a highly disturbing narrat ive of Porphyria and the anonymous male(Mostly due to the fa't that one lover ta-es the life if the other( Browning does not ma-e his intention of writing the poem evident( Browning# may be using this poem to influen'e the people# to bring about 'hange in their so'iety and for lovers not to lose hope( Browning ma-es effe'tive use of 'ontrasts# patheti' falla'ies# delusion as well as the .i'torian 'lass stru'ture to present a tragi' but pressumably similar 'ommon love stories in his times( +s a -een reader / en2oy reading un'onventional te)ts("Porphyria’s lover’# appealed to me as it has a un'onventional theme of love a''ompanied by a thrilling# narrative( / have learnt# that women in the past have not always had the frredom to do their own will as well as the harsh reality of inter='lass love in the .i'torian times(