[Part 2]- Porphyria’s lover ❤️🔥😍 Flashcards
What is the rhyme scheme of Porphyria’s lover?
- the rhyme scheme of Porphyria’s lover is a regular ababb structure, with a asymmetrical rhyme scheme, reflecting the unbalanced state of mind [of the speaker.]
- I= Alternatively, it might also suggest the illogicalness of the speaker, or perhaps how the unbalanced, asymmetrical rhyme scheme reflects how unbalanced the speakers’ motive is- [to kill her, or have sex with her]
- ; by ending the ‘stanzas’ as rhyming couplets, it could reflects how he wants Porphyria to be his lover- for eternity, + love him for eternity, even in death Ashe tries to conserve that moment of them [ though he realises he can’t have her]
What alternative interpretations are there about the rhyme scheme of Porphyria’s lover?
- I= Alternatively, it might also suggest the illogicalness of the speaker, or perhaps how the unbalanced, asymmetrical rhyme scheme reflects how unbalanced the speakers’ motive is- [to kill her, or have sex with her]
- ; by ending the ‘stanzas’ as rhyming couplets, it could reflects how he wants Porphyria to be his lover- for eternity, + love him for eternity, even in death as he tries to conserve that moment of them [ though he realises he can’t have her]
What is the form of Porphyria’s lover?
- written in a monologue [and in one long stanza],the speaker in Porphyria’s lover is a murderer, who spends all night with the body of their victim.
- the poem presents their perspective, thoughts and feelings…
- R/C= which would make a modern reader feel disturbed and unsettled; for a Victorian reader, the poem may appear to be thrilling because sensation and gothic novels were popular.
What else can we comment, about the form of Porphyria’s lover?
- Since this poem is a monologue, we only see things from the speaker’s perspective.
- /D= On a deeper level, perhaps it contextually reflects how women like Porphyria in Victorian times, had no voice + no control over their lives.
- Furthemore, The speaker is unreliable Aswell…
- R= making it doubly unsettling for the reader, as he claimed Porphyria felt no pain [which is unlikely]
What is the meaning and message of Porphyria’s lover?
- C= Browning uses this poem to comment on the balance of power in male-female relationships.
- This is because his message of the poem, is that women who assert their power + sexual desire will ultimately be punished.
‘And yet God has not said a word!’
- the speaker is afraid he might be punished by God; God’s silence may also be interpreted as a judgement on Porphyria, for expressing her sexual desire and letting her ‘damp hair fall’.
- I= Alternatively, God’s silence, might reflect the speaker’s mad perspective, by suggesting God approves of his actions.
- the exclamation mark, affects the readers’s reponse to the speaker, as he is suprised that he won’t be punsihed, as the speaker dosen’t believe God exist.
What context relates to the quote ‘And yet God has not said a word!’
- C= this relfects Browning’s agnosticism, [as he questioned God’s place in the world.]
- C= In the Victorian Era, Robert Browning’s readee would take the Christian perspctive [as the majoritu were Christian]
What else can we say about the form of ‘Porphyria’s lover’
- the purpose of the monologue in this poem, is to make the reader question the speaker’s motive.
Why is the poem written in one long stanza?
- to emphasise how the speaker is beginning to lose control- what he is doing is simply irrational; he thinks it’s rational.
- R= Furthermore, Browning does this to disturb the reader by changing the expected form to compressed amd without any stanzas- this hints at the speaker’s psychotic nature.
What alternative interpretations can we say about the quote ‘And yet God has not said a word!’
- I= does this speaker desire to be punished, or does this perhaps try to attack the Christian faith [and it’s morality] by arguing that if there’s no God, why should we fear acting on our desires?
What alternative interpretations can we say about the quote ‘And yet God has not said a word!’
- I= does this speaker desire to be punished, or does this perhaps try to attack the Christian faith [and it’s morality] by arguing that if there’s no God, why should we fear acting on our desires?
What can you tell me about how Porphyria is portrayed as active, in juxtaposition to the speaker?
- In juxtaposition to the speaker, Porphyria is portrayed as very active which is reinforced by Browning using lots of active verbs
- C= ; this is unusual since given the Victorian context, men were expected to be dominant whilst women were expected to be submissive and passive but Porphyria subverts these gender roles [typical of the Victorian Era]- she puts his arms around her waist, + initiates physical contact.
Why does he kill Porphyria?
- Perhaps the speaker kills Porphyria since he wants to posses Porphyria forever and is afraid of losing he
- I= alternatively, he might have killed Porphyria as he wants to preserve that moment in time where he realises she reciprocates his loves as she ‘worshipped’ the speaker- ‘Porphyria worshipped me’- the speaker is so shocked, he tries to preserve her love for eternity- by killing her.
Why does he kill Porphyria?
- Moreover, the romantic poets lived by their own rules- this poem is untypical of a normal romantic poem + perhaps Browning is the lover, rejecting conformity which then reflects how the speaker is infact punishing Porphyria for conforming and not following her heart + the speaker.
Why does he kill Porphyria?
- Interestingly, the speaker punishes Pohyria similar to society.
- Her crime is that she contradicts and goes against the rules that society has placed by: not only loving some who is inferior/lower status than her, but by having sex outside of marriage [and expressing her sexual desire].
- relating to Browning’s message that women who assert their sexual desire, will ultimately he punished as death could be a punishement, for expressing her sexual desire.
- I= Alternatively, this poem could also be a commentary about how society kills love, by forbidding relationships that consist of different social classes.