Comment on the character of the speaker in ‘Prophyria’s Lover’

Comment on the character of the speaker in ‘Prophyria’s Lover’

Robert Browning’s poem “Porphyria’s Lover” is written in a first person narrative style. This narrator is the unnamed lover of the title character Porphyria. Because of the nature of the first person writing style, the reader cannot always trust the narrator, making them unreliable. In the case of “Porphyria’s Lover”, this fact makes the analysis of the character of the narrator even more ambiguous.

In the opening lines of the poem, Browning uses the literary technique pathetic fallacy to mirror the narrator’s feelings. The storm shows the reader the inner turmoil that he is feeling – he hears the storm and “listen[s] with heart fit to break.” (1411) This gives the appearance that he is wrestling gravely with something in his mind – something that is tearing him apart.

Coming through the storm like an angel, Porphyria appears and “shut the cold out and the storm” (1411) giving the idea that her appearance has stopped the inner struggle within the narrator, maybe he has come to a conclusion. Immediately after her entrance, Porphyria proceeds to make a fire even before she takes off her wet and sopping clothes. This action could show that the narrator never thought to make a fire himself, or that perhaps he preferred not to have one. Maybe sitting in the cold was a form of punishment for the deed he was contemplating.

After stoking the fire, Porphyria removed all of her wet clothing and called to the narrator, who didn’t reply. Not answering Porphyria’s call may signify that the narrator at this time was wary and perhaps a bit skittish. He doesn’t want to be near her anymore, he knows what they are doing is wrong. This causes Porphyria to make the first move, she “put [his] arm about her waist” (1412) and makes his head lie on her shoulder. In this position, the narrator tells us about Porphyria and her feelings – how she will not leave her high status to be with him. Instead they have to hide their love, causing her to lose her virtue and purity....................................................


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Milan Tomic

Hi. I’m Designer of Blog Magic. I’m CEO/Founder of ThemeXpose. I’m Creative Art Director, Web Designer, UI/UX Designer, Interaction Designer, Industrial Designer, Web Developer, Business Enthusiast, StartUp Enthusiast, Speaker, Writer and Photographer. Inspired to make things looks better.

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