RobertBrowning

PorphyriasLover
CompleteText
Therainsetearlyintonight,
Thesullenwindwassoonawake,
Ittoretheelmtopsdownforspite,
anddiditsworsttovexthelake:
Ilistenedwithheartfittobreak.
WhenglidedinPorphyria;straight
Sheshutthecoldoutandthestorm,
Andkneeledandmadethecheerlessgrate
Blazeup,andallthecottagewarm;
Whichdone,sherose,andfromherform
Withdrewthedrippingcloakandshawl,
Andlaidhersoiledglovesby,untied
Herhatandletthedamphairfall,
And,last,shesatdownbymyside
Andcalledme.Whennovoicereplied,
Sheputmyarmaboutherwaist,
Andmadehersmoothwhiteshoulderbare,
Andallheryellowhairdisplaced,
And,stooping,mademycheekliethere,
Andspread,oerall,heryellowhair,
Murmuringhowshelovedmeshe
Tooweak,forallherheartsendeavor,
Tosetitsstrugglingpassionfree
Frompride,andvainertiesdissever,
Andgiveherselftomeforever.
Butpassionsometimeswouldprevail,
Norcouldtonightsgayfeastrestrain
Asuddenthoughtofonesopale
Forloveofher,andallinvain:
So,shewascomethroughwindandrain.
BesureIlookedupathereyes
Happyandproud;atlastIknew
Porphyriaworshipedme:surprise
Mademyheartswell,andstillitgrew
WhileIdebatedwhattodo.
Thatmomentshewasmine,mine,fair,

Perfectlypureandgood:Ifound
Athingtodo,andallherhair
InonelongyellowstringIwound
Threetimesherlittlethroataround,
Andstrangledher.Nopainfeltshe;
Iamquitesureshefeltnopain.
Asashutbudthatholdsabee,
Iwarilyopedherlids:again
Laughedtheblueeyeswithoutastain.
AndIuntightenednextthetress
Aboutherneck;hercheekoncemore
Blushedbrightbeneathmyburningkiss:
Iproppedherheadupasbefore
Only,thistimemyshoulderbore
Herhead,whichdroopsuponitstill:
Thesmilingrosylittlehead,
Sogladithasitsutmostwill,
Thatallitscornedatonceisfled,
AndI,itslove,amgainedinstead!
Porphyriaslove:sheguessednothow
Herdarlingonewishwouldbeheard.
Andthuswesittogethernow,
Andallnightlongwehavenotstirred,
AndyetGodhasnotsaidaword!

Summary
PorphyriasLover,whichfirstappearedin1836,isoneoftheearliest
andmostshockingofBrowningsdramaticmonologues.Thespeaker
livesinacottageinthecountryside.Hislover,abloomingyoungwoman
namedPorphyria,comesinoutofastormandproceedstomakeafire
andbringcheertothecottage.Sheembracesthespeaker,offeringhim
herbareshoulder.Hetellsusthathedoesnotspeaktoher.Instead,he
says,shebeginstotellhimhowshehasmomentarilyovercomesocietal
stricturestobewithhim.Herealizesthatsheworship[s]himatthis
instant.Realizingthatshewilleventuallygiveintosocietyspressures,
andwantingtopreservethemoment,hewrapsherhairaroundherneck
andstranglesher.Hethentoyswithhercorpse,openingtheeyesand
proppingthebodyupagainsthisside.Hesitswithherbodythiswaythe
entirenight,thespeakerremarkingthatGodhasnotyetmovedtopunish
him.

Form
PorphyriasLover,whilenaturalinitslanguage,doesnotdisplaythe
colloquialismsordialecticalmarkersofsomeofBrowningslaterpoems.
Moreover,whilethecadenceofthepoemmimicsnaturalspeech,it
actuallytakestheformofhighlypatternedverse,rhymingABABB.The
intensityandasymmetryofthepatternsuggeststhemadnessconcealed
withinthespeakersreasonedselfpresentation.
Thispoemisadramaticmonologueafictionalspeechpresentedasthe
musingsofaspeakerwhoisseparatefromthepoet.Likemostof
Browningsotherdramaticmonologues,thisonecapturesamomentafter
amaineventoraction.Porphyriaalreadyliesdeadwhenthespeaker
begins.Justasthenamelessspeakerseekstostoptimebykillingher,so
doesthiskindofpoemseektofreezetheconsciousnessofaninstant.

Commentary
PorphyriasLoveropenswithascenetakenstraightfromtheRomantic
poetryoftheearliernineteenthcentury.Whileastormragesoutdoors,
givingademonstrationofnatureatitsmostsublime,thespeakersitsina
cozycottage.Thisisthepictureofruralsimplicityacottagebyalake,a
rosycheekedgirl,aroaringfire.However,oncePorphyriabeginstotake
offherwetclothing,thepoemleapsintothemodernworld.Shebaresher
shouldertoherloverandbeginstocaresshim;thisisalevelofovert
sexualitythathasnotbeenseeninpoetrysincetheRenaissance.Wethen
learnthatPorphyriaisdefyingherfamilyandfriendstobewiththe
speaker;thesceneisnownotjustsexual,buttransgressivelyso.Illicitsex
outofwedlockpresentedamajorconcernforVictoriansociety;the
famousVictorianpruderyconstitutedonlyabacklashtowhatwasin
factapopularobsessionwiththetheme:thenewspapersoftheday
reveledinstoriesaboutprostitutesandunwedmothers.Here,however,in
PorphyriasLover,sexappearsassomethingnatural,acceptable,
almostwholesome:Porphyriasgirlishnessandaffectiontakeprominence
overanyhintsofimmorality.
FortheVictorians,modernitymeantnumbness:urbanlife,withits
constantoverstimulationandnewspapersfullofscandalousand
horrifyingstories,immunizedpeopletoshock.Manybelievedthatthe
onslaughtofamoralityandtheconstantassaultonthesensescouldbe
counteractedonlywithanevengreatershock.Thisistheprinciple
BrowningadherestoinPorphyriasLover.Inlightofcontemporary
scandals,thesexualtransgressionmightseeminsignificant;soBrowning
breaksthroughhisreadersprobablecomplacencybyhavingPorphyrias
lovermurderher;andthusheprovokessomemoraloremotionalreaction

inhispresumablynumbaudience.ThisisnottosaythatBrowningis
tryingtoshockusintocondemningeitherPorphyriaorthespeakerfor
theirsexuality;rather,heseekstoremindusofthedisturbedconditionof
themodernpsyche.Infact,PorphyriasLoverwasfirstpublished,
alongwithanotherpoem,underthetitleMadhouseCells,suggestingthat
theconditionsofthenewmodernworldservedtoblurthelinebetween
ordinarylifeforexample,thedomesticsettingofthispoemand
insanityillustratedherebythespeakersaction.
Thispoem,likemuchofBrowningswork,conflatessex,violence,and
aesthetics.LikemanyVictorianwriters,Browningwastryingtoexplore
theboundariesofsensualityinhiswork.Howisitthatsocietyconsiders
thebeautyofthefemalebodytobeimmoralwhileneverquestioningthe
moralityoflanguagessensualityasensualityoftenmostmanifestin
poetry?Whydoessocietyseebothsexandviolenceastransgressive?
Whatistherelationshipbetweenthetwo?Whichisworse?Theseare
someofthequestionsthatBrowningspoetryposits.Andhetypically
doesnotofferanyanswerstothem:Browningisnomoralist,althoughhe
isnolibertineeither.Asafairlyliberalman,heisconfusedbyhis
societyssimultaneousembraceofbothmoralrighteousnessandadesire
forsensation;PorphyriasLoverexploresthiscontradiction.