Porphyria's Lover

Question 1

Written by

Answer 1

Robert Browning

Question 2

Published in

Answer 2

1836

Question 3

Porphyria meaning

Answer 3

Disease which can result in madness - she is literally ‘porphyria’ to the narrator

Question 4

Form

Answer 4

Dramatic monologue - Porphyria has no voice meaning the narrator projects his own feelings onto her - he is untrustworthy

Question 5

Rhyme scheme

Answer 5

ABABB - the lack of balance suggests there is no love, just lust (‘passion’)

Question 6

Rhythm

Answer 6

Iambic tetrameter - regular rhythm reflects how calm he is in this unsettling situation

Question 7

Mirrored structure

Answer 7

‘she put my arm about her waist’ turns to ‘this time my shoulder bore her head’ - after the murder he becomes the dominant, active one

Question 8

Shift in dominance

Answer 8

‘I looked up at her eyes’ - first time speaker takes action

Question 9

Porphyria’s warm personality

Answer 9

‘she shut the cold out and the storm’ - sibilance reflects silence created as he no longer focuses on the noises outdoors

Question 10

Possessive language significance

Answer 10

Reflects his desperation to have her

Question 11

Social class issues

Answer 11

‘vainer ties dissever’ - her possible higher social status may make her family disapprove the relationship

Question 12

Desire for power

Answer 12

‘mine, mine’ - disturbing repetition highlights how he wants to possess her

Question 13

Flower imagery

Answer 13

‘droops’ - reflects how the moment with her ‘rosy head’ will not last forever

Question 14

Objectification

Answer 14

‘it’ is repeated four times in one quintain - reflects how she is just property to him

Question 15

Example of him being at breaking point

Answer 15

‘heart fit to break’ - line 5 so his mental instability sets the mood of the poem

Question 16

Example of his derangement

Answer 16

‘blushed bright’ - he thinks she is blushing due to a passionate kiss when it’s a result of being strangled

Question 17

Chronological recollection of events

Answer 17

Repetition of ‘and’ creates anaphora which makes him look calm and collected while recounting the events

Question 18

Enjambment

Answer 18

‘untied/her hat’ - line break reflects unstable mental state

Question 19

Significance of the way murder is mentioned

Answer 19

No change in rhythm - shocking as it’s unexpected

Question 20

Caesura

Answer 20

‘and strangled her.’ - emphasises the ultimate nature of the action - she is now dead and that is irreversible

Question 21

Pathetic fallacy

Answer 21

‘sullen’, ‘awake’, ‘spite’ - creates ominous atmosphere

Question 22

Female sexuality in Victorian times

Answer 22

‘let the damp hair fall’ - she is going against repression

the word ‘fall’ relates to ‘fallen woman’, a term for women who behaved like this at the time - draws attention to how her actions would be considered sinful

Question 23

Foreshadowing

Answer 23

‘yellow hair’ is repeated - reflects his obsession but foreshadows him using it to strangle her

Question 24

Jealousy

Answer 24

‘Nor could tonight’s gay feast restrain’ - he is not part of her social activities like this where she may be seductive to other men - increases his instability

Question 25

Unrequited love

Answer 25

Her ‘murmuring’ suggests she doesn’t mean what she says about how she loves him

Question 26

Disturbing events after murder

Answer 26

‘warily oped her lids’ - even he hesitates opening the supposed windows to one’s soul, highlighting that he is still aware of how immoral his actions were

Question 27

Ambiguity in the final line

Answer 27

‘God has not said a word!’ - may be surprised he hasn’t been punished or perhaps he doesn’t think he has sinned at all