Porphyria's Lover Summary
Porphyria's Lover by Robert Browning is a poem about a man who kills his lover, Porphyria, in an effort to preserve the love that they have for eternity.
- The poem is a dramatic monologue told by Porphyria's lover (who is never named in the poem), and like other Browning monologues, what is learned about this person is gained from what he says about himself, from what he does not say, and from the readers' sense that his depiction of himself may not be trustworthy.
- The speaker describes how his lover comes to him one night and he kills her, and in doing so, he preserves their love forever. And while his portrayal of the situation is designed to show that his actions are justified, it becomes apparent that he is not so certain of this.
- In this poem Browning offers a complex psychological study of an insane man who uses reason and argument to explain and make sense of his senseless actions.
Summary
Overview
The narrative in “Porphyria’s Lover” unfolds through a recounting of events from a single night, culminating in Porphyria's murder by the poem's narrator. Rather than being retold to an audience, the story seems to replay in the mind of Porphyria’s lover. Thus, it might be somewhat inaccurate to call him the poem’s “speaker,” but most commentators do so. Browning skillfully builds tension by gradually revealing details through the narrator, allowing the reader to piece together what has occurred. As it becomes evident that the narrator is insane, the reader must decide how much of his account to trust. The poem is a dramatic monologue delivered by Porphyria’s lover, who remains unnamed. As with other Browning monologues, insights about the narrator come not only from his words but also from what he omits and the unreliable nature of his self-portrayal. He describes how Porphyria comes to him one night, and he kills her, believing this act preserves their love eternally. Although he attempts to justify his actions, it becomes clear he is uncertain about their righteousness. Browning presents a complex psychological portrait of a madman who uses logic and argument to rationalize his deeds.
Lines 1–5
The poem begins by setting the scene with a storm raging outside, establishing the tone for the ensuing events. The storm is depicted in straightforward language: it starts early, breaks tree limbs, and disrupts the lake’s tranquility. This storm is personified, foreshadowing the speaker’s mood. Browning employs “pathetic fallacy,” attributing human emotions and intentions to nonhuman elements. The wind is described as “sullen,” destroying trees out of “spite” and deliberately trying to “vex” the lake. Later, the speaker himself is sullen, using this mood to provoke a reaction from Porphyria. These initial lines indicate that the events took place recently, as the speaker refers to “tonight.” His mood is evident when he listens to the storm “with heart fit to break,” revealing his intense suffering, mirrored and amplified by the tumultuous weather.
Lines 6–15
Porphyria enters the speaker’s cottage, immediately shifting the poem's tone. Initially, in line 4, the speaker is portrayed as passively listening to the storm outside. However, when describing Porphyria, he presents a woman who is energetically and actively moving about. In these ten lines depicting Porphyria, Browning employs numerous verbs, showing her performing at least twelve actions. Even though she “shut,” “kneeled,” “made,” “rose,” “laid,” “untied,” and more, there is no sense of haste or chaos. Instead, her movements are controlled and purposeful, highlighted by the use of monosyllables. Porphyria enters the cottage and “straight,” or immediately, gets to work. Her presence dispels the cold and storm, indicating her strong personality. Despite the raging storm outside, there is no fire burning, so she sets about making one “blaze up.” This illustrates her assertiveness while also highlighting the speaker’s passive and melancholic state, as he has been sitting alone in his cottage during the storm without attempting to warm the place.
Throughout the poem, stark contrasts are evident between Porphyria and her lover. She is described with bright colors (her yellow hair, the fire she kindles, her blue eyes, and rosy face), while he is depicted as pale. She is active; he is passive. She is talkative; he is silent. She enters after being with many people, whereas he remains alone and isolated in his cottage. After making the fire, Porphyria rises and removes her wet, soiled clothes from the storm. The poet makes it clear that she only approaches her lover after organizing the scene. It is revealed that Porphyria unties her hat, lets her hair down, “And, last, sat...
(This entire section contains 1982 words.)
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down by my side.” The commas around “last” further emphasize that she attends to her lover only after arranging her surroundings. She then calls to him.
One critic has suggested that the early depiction of Porphyria in the poem implies she is a vampire, or at the very least, that the speaker portrays her as one to rationalize his subsequent murder of her. According to this critic, the poem's setting aligns with the traditional Gothic horror narrative, featuring a mysterious woman who arrives at night during a storm. Porphyria "glides" into the cottage in a silent, almost undead manner, demonstrating her assertiveness and dominance before attempting to seduce her victim.
The rest of the poem, the critic argues, offers additional proof of the speaker's perception of Porphyria as a vampire. He believes her gaze weakens him, leaving him with no option but to kill her. He also thinks that God has not punished him because, by killing the vampire, he has saved his soul. The name "Porphyria" is also claimed to have anti-Christian connotations: "porphyre" refers to a type of serpent, Porphyrius was an anti-Christian philosopher, and "porphyry" is a type of marble sensitive to light, much like vampires are said to be.
Lines 15–30
After Porphyria sits beside the speaker, he does not respond to her call. This lack of reaction suggests he is sullen, or perhaps even in a catatonic state. Notably, the speaker refrains from referring to himself as “I,” emphasizing his passivity when he mentions that “no voice replied” to her calls. Porphyria remains the active partner, wrapping her arm around his waist and baring her shoulder to him. She continues to seduce him, moving her blonde hair from her shoulder, pressing his cheek against it, and enveloping him in her long tresses. By contemporary standards, this scene may not appear sexually explicit, but in early Victorian poetry, it would be considered daring and erotically charged. The fact that the woman dominates and controls the situation is unusual, and this aspect becomes even more shocking when it is revealed a few lines later that she is a married woman of a different social class than the speaker. These details are not immediately clear, and the reader only discerns from subtle hints provided by the speaker that they are involved in an illicit love affair. The speaker explains that Porphyria softly tells him how much she loves him. However, he notes that despite her strong desire, she is too weak to overcome her pride and fully commit to him. She cannot “dissever,” or break, her “vainer” ties. Yet, there are moments when her passion overwhelms her, compelling her to seek out her lover. For instance, tonight she has left a “gay feast” to be with him. Unable to stay at the party due to thoughts of her pale, lonely lover, she has braved wind and rain to see him. The mention of the “gay feast” implies that she belongs to the wealthy class, which contrasts with the speaker’s humble cottage life. Their love affair is thus socially unacceptable due to their differing social backgrounds.
The portrayal of Porphyria in these lines contrasts sharply with her earlier depiction in the poem. In lines 6 through 15, the speaker describes her as a strong, assertive, and dominant woman. Now, however, he depicts her as weak and unable to act on her true desires—to leave her "vainer ties" and be with him. It remains unclear whether, in lines 22 to 25, the speaker is merely offering his own interpretation of her actions or mocking Porphyria's own account of her feelings and actions that evening. What is evident is that while the earlier description of Porphyria is presented objectively, the speaker now shares his perspective influenced by self-importance, frustration, and bitterness. Previously, the focus was on external events (the storm, Porphyria's entrance and actions), but now the speaker delves into a subjective assessment of her mindset and motivations. Earlier, she was depicted as dominant and in control, visiting him only after handling her own affairs. In his view, she is now portrayed as weak and conflicted, torn between social obligations and braving the storm to be with him.
Lines 31–42
Suddenly, the speaker's demeanor shifts, and he appears content and happy. However, it quickly becomes evident that his description is not objective but rather a product of his disturbed mind. While the speaker was melancholic and morose in the first half of the poem, this section reveals his descent into madness. It becomes increasingly challenging to discern the truth in his account. He claims to look into Porphyria's eyes and sees happiness and pride. At that moment, he "knows" that Porphyria worships him. This realization surprises and gratifies him, intensifying his emotions as he contemplates his next move. In lines 31 to 36, the speaker abruptly uses a series of first-person pronouns: "I looked," "I knew," "my heart," "I debated," "mine, mine," and "I found." He believes that at "that moment," Porphyria is entirely his, not only that but she is "fair / Perfectly pure and good." He suddenly decides what he must do and proceeds to take her hair in one "long yellow string" and winds it three times around her throat, strangling her.
There is no description of Porphyria's struggle or terror, and according to the speaker, she experiences no pain. He emphasizes this point twice. The reader understands that events did not transpire exactly as the speaker describes them; his interpretation is shaped by his deranged mind. The speaker believes that his lover, who has difficulty leaving her social circle to be with him, actually "worships" him, is entirely his, and is perfectly pure in the moment she is with him. He is captivated by this perfect moment and realizes that he must preserve it. He concludes that killing her is the only way to possess her completely. He suggests that his actions are not to be condemned, as he insists that his victim feels no pain.
Lines 43–55
After strangling and killing her, the speaker opens Porphyria’s eyelids, using a bizarre simile that is both grotesque and oddly innocent: he lifts her dead lids as a child might open a flower that holds a bee. Again, her eyes suggest she is happy: they are laughing and "without a stain"—an unusual occurrence since Porphyria is dead. The speaker then loosens the hair from around her neck and kisses her cheek, which blushes beneath his touch. He props her up and rests her head on his shoulder, noting that this mirrors their previous position, but now the roles are reversed, and he supports her. The balance of power seems to have shifted; Porphyria has "given" herself to him completely, and he ensures this remains the case forever. The speaker explains that as he speaks, Porphyria’s head is still on his shoulder, smiling, happy, and free of worries, in the state she has always desired. He imagines that Porphyria shares his joy at having frozen time in the moment when her love for him is complete. She is finally free from all she despised—perhaps her life in a wealthy society—and has gained her true love. This strange and disturbing depiction is made even more eerie by the speaker's claim that it is Porphyria’s head, drooped on his shoulder like a flower, that harbors these thoughts and feelings.
Lines 56–60
In the poem's final five lines, the speaker is depicted sitting motionless with his deceased lover's head resting on his shoulder. He muses on how Porphyria could never have anticipated that her deepest wish—to be with her lover forever—would be fulfilled in this way. Their perfect moment of love has been captured and preserved for eternity. They have remained in the same position throughout the night, completely still, signifying the start of their eternal togetherness. The speaker again attempts to justify his actions, suggesting that even God has not condemned him, as he notes that "yet God has not said a word." This implies that God's judgment might still come. This ambiguity suggests that the speaker, in his disturbed state, is trying to rationalize his actions to himself, presenting the situation in a way that absolves him of blame, while simultaneously feeling underlying guilt and distress over his crime.
