Porphyria’s Lover (P) Flashcards
Exposition
“sullen wind” ; “It tore the elm-tops down for spite,”
A01
The narrator is describing the harsh weather outside as he waits for Porphyria
A02
Pathetic fallacy, his mood swings and changes just as the weather does
sinister personification of the wind creates an aggressive, angry tone, symbolising his later anger
Speaker’s imbalance and paranoia through destructive/emotive verb “tore”
A03
Browning may want to explore the emotions of anger and jealousy that people can experience when their partner is away or focusing on other areas of their life
Mid- Point
“And strangled her.”
A01
The man strangles Porphyria with her “yellow” hair in a fit of rage
A02
Abrupt short sentence enhances dramatic moment and his callous sudden act of violence. It is a quick decision to deftly secure her perfection and his possession
Startling effect of the graphic verb “strangled” he strangles her with her long blond hair that she previously used to seduce other “vainer ties” as well as the narrator previously in the poem,
He uses her own hair to end her and reasserts his power and dominance over her ending her infidelity
A03
Browning may want to explore the rage one can feel when you are betrayed by a lover or partner when they cheat and how it can sometimes erupt suddenly in a fit of violence
Denouement
”And all night long we have not stirred, / And yet God has not said a word!”
A01
Chilling denouement: he sits with Porphyria’s body all night long, her head resting on his shoulder
A02
**The soft past participle ‘stirred’ **is gentle, suggestive of peacefulness which reveals his perverse mindset; almost as if he imagines they are lovingly entwined in bed
Triumphant final rhyming couplet and exclamative tone reveals a gleefulness that he has escaped religious damnation – perhaps because he believes himself to be right in his corrective behaviour
A03
How people can reason away all guilt when they believe that what they’re doing is right .
