prophyrias lover Flashcards
“That moment she was mine, mine, fair, / Perfectly pure and good:….In one long yellow string I wound…..And strangled her.
“That moment she was mine, mine, fair, / Perfectly pure and good:”: The repetition of “mine” emphasizes the speaker’s possessiveness and obsessive need to control Porphyria. By declaring her “perfectly pure and good,” he places her on a pedestal, idealizing her in a way that denies her autonomy.
“Three times her little throat around, / And strangled her”: The methodical description of the strangulation emphasizes the premeditated nature of the act. The repetition of “three times” underscores the deliberateness and cold calculation of the speaker.
The speaker’s calm and detached tone while describing the act of strangulation reveals his psychopathic nature. He views the murder not as a violent act but as a way to preserve the perfect moment and maintain eternal possession of Porphyria.
the rain set in early tonight, the sullen wind was soon awake it tore the elm tops down fro spite
“The rain set early in to-night”: This line immediately introduces a sense of dreariness and gloom. The early onset of rain suggests a prolonged period of bad weather, setting a melancholic and oppressive mood.
“The sullen wind was soon awake”: The wind is described as “sullen,” personifying it with human emotions. The word “sullen” implies a sense of anger or resentment, contributing to the dark atmosphere.
“It tore the elm-tops down for spite”: The wind is depicted as malicious, acting out of “spite.” This personification enhances the sense of violence and hostility in the natural world. The image of the wind tearing down tree tops suggests destruction and chaos.
The external storm mirrors the internal storm within the speaker. The violent weather reflects his emotional state, characterized by agitation and impending violence.
Browning uses personification to attribute human qualities to the wind and the storm, making them seem active and intentional. This choice creates a more vivid and dramatic scene, emphasizing the malevolent forces at play both in nature and within the speaker.
And yet god has not said a word
“And yet”: The phrase “and yet” suggests a sense of anticipation or expectation that something should have happened but did not. It indicates that the speaker has been waiting for a response or sign.
The speaker’s expectation is that God would intervene or offer some form of judgment if what he did was wrong. The absence of any divine intervention or sign is taken by the speaker as tacit approval or at least not disapproval of his actions.
There is a deep irony in this line. The reader understands that the lack of divine intervention is not an endorsement of the speaker’s actions. Rather, it underscores his self-deception and warped logic.
The line “And yet God has not said a word” is a powerful conclusion to “Porphyria’s Lover,” encapsulating the speaker’s delusional justification of his actions. It reveals his reliance on a misinterpreted silence to vindicate his crime, highlighting his disturbed psyche and the complexities of his moral reasoning. Browning uses this line to underscore themes of power, control, and the perversion of morality, leaving the reader with a chilling insight into the mind of the speaker.
