Porphyria's Lover Analysis
Robert Browning’s “Porphyria’s Lover” written in 1836 explores and undermines the complex gender stereotypes regarding power and authority present in the nineteenth century. The typical stable male figure is absent. Instead, the male narrator is extremely capricious and erratic in nature, making for an unusual story. Porphyria, the female in the poem, also undermines regular stereotypes. On a deeper level, Porphyria seems to be the one with the power even although physically she gets strangled. The irrational power of sexuality and the sublimity of nature are extremely relevant in this Romantic poem. Reason does not seem to exist on any level in “Porphyria’s Lover”, yet power is everywhere. Robert Browning’s “Porphyria’s Lover” analyzes the
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The concept of the hair falling cannot be ignored, due to the publishing of John Milton’s “Paradise Lost” less than two centuries before that of “Porphyria’s Lover”. The hair, according to Milton, is a symbol for a vail of innocence. The notion of the hair falling is a complex one, because when hair falls it seems to create an even better vail, covering more of the body. However, the fall of the hair meaning the loss of the vail of innocence makes coherent sense because Porphyria proceeds to take off all her clothes in the next few lines, which makes her no longer innocent. This power of sexuality makes Porphyria’s lover’s “heart swell”, because he thinks that “Porphyria worshiped me” (34, 33). This catatonic man’s struggle for power and authority is evident in the killing of his “love”. His possessive nature is undeniable, “That moment she was mine, mine, fair, / Perfectly pure and good” (36 - 37). Porphyria’s lover wants Porphyria to himself and only himself and will do whatever it takes to make this the case. The actual portrayal of the killing is of course biased based on the male narrator of the story. He seems quite sure that Porphyria felt no pain, but at the same time seems to be convincing himself of this, suggesting that there was struggle and
The concept of the hair falling cannot be ignored, due to the publishing of John Milton’s “Paradise Lost” less than two centuries before that of “Porphyria’s Lover”. The hair, according to Milton, is a symbol for a vail of innocence. The notion of the hair falling is a complex one, because when hair falls it seems to create an even better vail, covering more of the body. However, the fall of the hair meaning the loss of the vail of innocence makes coherent sense because Porphyria proceeds to take off all her clothes in the next few lines, which makes her no longer innocent. This power of sexuality makes Porphyria’s lover’s “heart swell”, because he thinks that “Porphyria worshiped me” (34, 33). This catatonic man’s struggle for power and authority is evident in the killing of his “love”. His possessive nature is undeniable, “That moment she was mine, mine, fair, / Perfectly pure and good” (36 - 37). Porphyria’s lover wants Porphyria to himself and only himself and will do whatever it takes to make this the case. The actual portrayal of the killing is of course biased based on the male narrator of the story. He seems quite sure that Porphyria felt no pain, but at the same time seems to be convincing himself of this, suggesting that there was struggle and