A study of two dramatic monologues, 'Porphyria's Lover' & 'My last Duchess' by Robert Browning.

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  • Natalie Robinson.
  • = A STUDY OF TWO DRAMATIC MONOLOGUES, ‘ PORPHYRIA’S LOVER’ & ‘ MY LAST DUCHESS’ BY ROBERT BROWNING.

Essentially the two pieces, ‘My Last Duchess’ and ‘Porphyria’s Lover’ are dramatic monologues. In a dramatic monologue a speaker addresses a silent listener, revealing himself in the context of a dramatic situation. Both poems are very similar in regard to their topic; they explore the combination of love and violence, controlled by the male, not the female, in the monologues. The male lovers, in an attempt to have complete control over the female, results in the action of murder, which seems to satisfy their jealousy. However although the two pieces are very similar, a diverse atmosphere is projected by Robert Browning’s usage of different tones in the language.  ‘Porphyria’s lover’ has a more passionate, warm atmosphere over ‘ My Last Duchess’ cold atmosphere of the narrator.

‘ Porphyria’s lover’ gives the reader a dramatic insight into the mind of an abnormally, possessive lover, who’s wish is for their moment to last forever. This dramatic monologue captures the moment after the main action. Porphyria already lies dead in her lover’s arms when the speech begins and so is written in past tense with no direct listener, this is in contrast to ‘ My Last Duchess’. That poem is written in the present tense as the duke is conducting the tour of his residence

. It is clear from the beginning of ‘Porphyria’s lover’ that that the two characters are involved in a passionate relationship. This relationship could be perceived to be a sin as Porphyria is married, but committing to an affair.

The setting of the poem is inside a small cottage, hidden away from civilisation. The cottage discloses Porphyria’s lover’s dwellings. This gives the view to the reader that her lover is of a lower status to her, due to his home, mainly because of its situation and size. Outside the cottage, the imagery of the turbulent storm reflects Porphyria’s lover’s mood, in waiting for his lady to arrive and creates a bleak mood. Personification and a technique called pathetic fallacy is used to create this idea with giving the storm human- like characteristics; this is elucidated with ‘sullen’ and ‘spite’.

It is said that Porphyria ‘shut out the cold and storm’ and made the ‘cottage warm’ by making a fire. This indicates the power that she has in making the scene calm and serine, and also the affect she has on her lover, brightening his mood. In the first part of the poem the female seems to be in control and have all the power. This notion is shown as it is she who makes the decision of when to meet her lover, he has no option but to sit and wait. Her control is shown over him with ‘ And at last she sat down by my side’, this exhibits the fact that Porphyria did not come to him straight away but made him seemingly wait, almost deliberately, teasing. After taking off her cloak and shawl, she calls him, ‘ call’d me’, and prior to this Porphyria’s movements are seductive and confident. This contrasts to the Duke as he had the control through out the entire monologue. Porphyria’s confidence is highlighted with ‘ put my arm around her waist’ and also making visible her bare shoulder.

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Pophyria’s status does seem to be that of a higher status than her lover’s. ‘ Made her smooth white shoulder bare’ agrees with the point of her high class. Her ‘smooth white’ skin manifests that she is of a pale skin tone, of which in the 19th century was perceived to be a trait of the higher social classes such as aristocracy. Her entrance as she ‘glided’ in, depicts a proud, and elegant figure; the movements are of one that is confident of both her and the class to which she belongs.

Porphyria’s power in the relationship is lastly shown, ...

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