Porphyria's Lover

When analyzing literature, critics can pull differing ideas about a piece and its various elements, even when they are analyzing the same work. Lemony Snicket once said that, “Even though there are no ways of knowing for sure, there are ways of knowing for pretty sure” (“Quotes About Knowing”); this idea brings up a certain dilemma: no matter how much a person analyzes an author’s work, he or she may never know exactly what the author intended. The most a person can do is use the clues the author leaves behind to make inferences, even if those inferences are different from the inferences of others. Robert Browning used the structure and language of his poem “Porphyria’s Lover” to express the hidden depths of the speaker’s mind while still leaving
room for readers to question the speaker’s sanity. The steady structure and language coupled with the style of the poem set up a contrasting atmosphere.
“Porphyria’s Lover” is an example of dramatic monologue. In this type of writing, a story is told from the point of view of a dramatic character, typically when that character is reflecting on a previous action. This style makes it so that the reader’s experience is limited to the speaker’s observations and feelings. In this case, the speaker is a man who is reflecting on the night he killed his lover, Porphyria (Bender 338). While this sounds like the action of a person who is not in his or her right mind, Robert Browning contrasts the traditional idea of madness throughout the poem (Kukathas 159). Rather than writing the poem in a disorganized manner ,which would give a clear clue to madness, this poem is highly organized and does not deviate from its steady “ababb” rhyme pattern (Bender 338). In addition, this poem is divided into three distinct sections that allow the reader to witness the changes in the speaker’s state of mind as the poem progresses (Kukathas
159). The poem starts by presenting the speaker as a very rational figure who speaks in a very clear and straightforward manner. He sets the scene by describing the night in simple language (Hacht 152). For example, the poem opens with “The rain set early in tonight / The sullen wind was soon awake”, (Pechman) as he waits for his lover. These are sentences that anyone would be able to understand. This clear language makes the speaker seem like any other person who is taking note of his surroundings as he waits for someone else (Kukathas 159). When Porphyria enters the cottage, the speaker describes her in strong terms by giving her the power (Hacht 157) to “shut the cold out and the storm … and [make] the cheerless grate / Blaze up, and all the cottage warm” (Pechman). In addition, once Porphyria sits down, she takes the lead (Hacht 153) by placing the speaker’s head on her “shoulder bare” (Pechman). This stronger description of Porphyria hints at the idea that the woman in this relationship is the dominating force. Despite this nontraditional role reversal, nothing seems obviously wrong with the man or this relationship. During the second section, the language of the speaker begins to change which clues the reader into the idea that the speaker may not be in his right mind. As opposed to the first section, the speaker begins to give an interpretation of feelings rather than simply describing the physical world around him. This change may seem insignificant; however, when he begins to describe Porphyria’s feelings, his description of her completely changes. Here, he says she is “Too weak, for all her heart’s endeavor,” (Pechman) yet before, he describes his lover in terms that show her to be capable and decisive (Hacht 152). This slight shift leads into a dramatic statement when the speaker discovers or believes to have discovered that “Porphyria worshipped [him]” (Pechman). This is a significant shift away from the Porphyria who was described in the first section. Rather than describing the concrete details around him such as the storm outside, the speaker begins to interpret not only his feelings but also the feelings of Porphyria. The fact that the reader only gets information from the speaker leaves room for one to wonder how much of this statement is true. This sudden conclusion also gives the reader a hint that the speaker is not grasping the situation properly (Kukathas 153).
The final section of the poem presents a complete turnaround from the beginning of the poem.
Here, the section starts with the speaker showing himself to be completely absorbed in his own world. He suddenly calls Porphyria “mine, mine, fair, / Perfectly pure and good” (Pechman). In this case, the speaker seems to be trying to make himself more dominant and is taking possession of Porphyria (Hacht 153). This attempt to dominate continues until he takes “one long yellow string” (Pechman) of her hair and strangles her. He later completes his role reversal by laying her head on his shoulder (Pechman). This action, which mirrors Porphyria’s earlier one, puts the speaker in a definite position of power. At the same time, this unexpected action definitely shows that the speaker is not as normal as he appears to be and is instead blinded by his desire to control his lover. It is important to note that even when this action has occurred, the rhyme scheme remains the same steady “ababb” and the speaker continues to speak in simple and common terms. While the actions and motives of the speaker seem extreme or even insane, the lack of variation in speech can lead one to wonder exactly how well the speaker is grasping the situation (Kukathas 161). The description of the speaker’s feelings rather than the physical world at the very beginning of this section could mean that this occurrence has only been imagined. On the other hand, the vivid yet simple descriptions of the setting in the
first section indicate that the speaker may be retelling this story accurately. The contrast between the style and the content of this section can lead one to wonder exactly how well this story is being portrayed.
The variations in language coupled with the steadiness of the structure and rhythm of this poem give the reader a chance to glimpse the inner workings of the speaker’s mind. The shift from being calm and composed to committing a murder of passion would make most people think that the speaker is violently insane; however, his unchanging steadiness leaves room for one to wonder whether he is truly in control of his actions. In the end, even though the reader does not truly know the speaker’s state of mind, the clues left by the author can give the reader “ways of knowing for pretty sure” (“Quotes About Knowing”).