The Industrial Revolution also made newspapers everyday items, however, these acted as scandal sheets, rather like gossip magazines today. They replaced the village community, making people feel less independent, there was still a possibility that others would look down at them for their actions. The newspapers helped reinforce discipline in the cities and towns.
Victorian society was fascinated by scandal and horror. Their love of horror is evident from the wealth of nineteenth century horror books. An example of their fascination with scandal is the way in which Jack the Ripper became famous because of his murders. When compared to similar killings, such as those in Suffolk in December 2006, when the same number of prostitutes were murdered, it becomes evident that Jack the Ripper proved a very popular talking point. One such example of the society’s love of horror is Dracula by Bram Stoker, published in 1897 or Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe, published in 1843.
Whilst Porphyria’s Lover does feature scandal, with the narrator murdering Porphyria, the poem contains little of the suspense techniques used in horror. The poem opens with a scene similar to the romantic poetry of the Victorian era, with a cottage near a lake: “did its worst to vex the lake” and a pretty woman: “smiling rosy little head”. However, Porphyria begins to undress and then shows the narrator her bare shoulder: “made her smooth white shoulder bare” In the nineteenth century doing this was similar to outright asking for sex. Even with moral decay and scandal a part of everyday life, this would have shocked the Victorian reader, as it was uncommon for sex to be written about the way it is by Browning.
Porphyria’s Lover has three key themes. The first is good versus evil. The poem opens with the storm representing evil: “did its worst to vex the lake”. Porphyria, who represents good and is described by the narrator as: “Perfectly pure and good”, enters, shutting out the storm, or the evil: “shut the cold out and the storm”. It is the narrator who represents evil, by murdering Porphyria: “I wound three times her little throat around, and strangled her” In Victorian society, despite the moral decay, religion and the Ten Commandments were still important. As murder is against one of the Ten Commandments, a Victorian society would see the narrator as evil. The poem closes by questioning God: “And yet God has not said a word!” This further shows the theme of good versus evil.
The second key theme is the struggle for power between different social classes. Porphyria is of a higher social class than the narrator . This is evident from the clothes she wears: “dripping cloak and shawl and laid her soiled gloves by” These clothes show her wealth and social class. The struggle between the classes is evident from the characters’ actions. Before the murder, it is Porphyria who has the power: “She put my arm around her waist” This shows that she is the one in control. She also makes the narrator put his head on her shoulder: “made my cheek lie there” This again shows that she is the one with power. After the murder, the narrator puts Porphyria’s head on his shoulder: “I propped her head up as before, only, this time my shoulder bore her head” This shows that now it is the narrator in power.
The third key theme is moral decay. This is linked with the good versus evil and is relevant to the society Browning was writing for as it is something they were experiencing. Browning explores this through his narrator’s actions. By murdering, he has done something immoral.
Porphyria’s Lover is a poem about two lovers. One of whom is Porphyria is of a higher status than the other lover, the narrator who is of a lower status. Porphyria wants them to be together forever, but doesn’t want to give up the privileges that come with her status. The narrator, in an attempt to preserve a perfect moment of contentment, murders Porphyria. He then sits with the body believing that they are now together forever.
Browning’s poem serves as a warning to his readers about moral decay and questioning God or their faith by looking at science. The narrator commits a sin by murdering Porphyria: “I found a thing to do…and strangled her” the narrator represents Browning’s society – he has done something immoral. It serves as a warning of what society is heading towards. The narrator questions God at the end of the poem: “And yet God has not said a word!” The reader knows that his crime will catch up with him as he sits with the body meaning that he probably won’t hide the body, this means he is likely to get caught. The narrator makes Porphyria seem innocent: “Perfectly pure and good” Browning warns the reader that society’s immoral ways are harming the innocent. Porphyria represents the innocent and her lover represents society.
Browning uses a variety of different language techniques, such as personification: “the sullen wind was soon awake” This helps the reader to understand the actions of the subject by making it human. In this poem, the storm is described as if it were an angry and vicious child. By doing this, Browning sets an aggressive scene for the murder that follows. Browning also uses metaphors: “I listened with heart fit to break” This helps the reader to view the scene or understand a feeling by describing it as if is something else. Browning uses descriptive language to add interest to the poem: “And laid her soiled gloves by” This helps to show the reader what the scene is like. Another language technique used is imagery: “made her smooth white shoulder bare” This helps the reader to view or feel the scene better by using the five senses. In Porphyria’s Lover, Browning uses sight, touch and hearing to create a successful poem. Juxtaposition is used in the poem. Browning juxtaposes the storm, which is cold and wet: “rain set in early”, with Porphyria’s entrance: “She shut the cold out and the storm” This technique highlights how extreme each of the above is. The storm is very cold and Porphyria is very warm.
Browning uses the form of the poem to shape it. Browning has used a monologue: “I listened with heart fit to break” This means that we are instantly involved in the poem and have to follow the narrator’s every action and thought.
The poem is split into two stanzas of varying length. The first stanza takes us through the murder and the events that occurred before it whilst the second stanza takes us through the narrator’s actions after the murder. This gives the impression that time has passed or that an event, which the reader will not be told of, has occurred between the first and second stanza. This also emphasises the bliss that the narrator is feeling by slowing the pace of the poem, perhaps mimicking a slowing of time the narrator believes he is experiencing now that Porphyria is his forever.
Enjambment features in Porphyria’s Lover: “Porphyria worshipped me; surprise/Made my heart swell” This makes the thoughts in the poem flow on and forces the reader to read the next sentence. It also creates a sense of disorder, suggesting the narrator isn’t sane. Enjambment isn’t used between the stanzas, again making the reader feel that time has passed between the verses.
There is a strict ABABB rhythm throughout the poem: “tonight…awake…spite…lake…break” This gives the poem a set rhythm and suggests madness in the narrator, it is as though he feels that he has to keep the strict rhythm in his monologue.
Throughout the poem Browning suggests that his narrator isn’t sane. Browning is known to have used insane narrators for his monologues, and Porphyria’s Lover doesn’t appear to be different. The narrator uses a very strict ABABB rhyming rhythm throughout his monologue: “still…head…will…fled…instead” The uniformity of the poem suggests madness in the narrator, it is almost obsessive. This is further backed up by the murder and the fact that he took Porphyria’s words literally: “give herself to me forever.” He killed her and kept the body, so she is now literally his forever. This suggests madness as he cannot understand that not everything is literal.
The narrator repeatedly mentions Porphyria’s hair: “And all her yellow hair displaced” This links in with the obsessive nature of the narrator, he is obsessed with her hair and mentions it many times. The narrator’s obsessive personality explains why he killed Porphyria, he wanted to keep everything perfect, and when he was with her, he felt as though all was perfect, so he killed her in order to preserve that feeling.
After killing Porphyria, the narrator sits playing with her body: “her cheek once more/Blushed bright beneath my burning kiss” This suggests that he’s a necropheliac, however it is unclear.
Browning uses sounds to add interest to the poem. Alliteration is used: “Blushed bright beneath my burning kiss” This helps the poem to flow smoothly. Repetition is also used. The word “yellow” (in reference to Porphyria’s hair) is repeated throughout the first stanza: “And spread o’er all her yellow hair” It is as if the narrator can’t quite believe the colour of Porphyria’s hair and has to repeat it to reassure himself that he’s not seeing things.
Browning’s use of adjectives makes the poem effective as it allows the reader to view the scene clearly and see how certain actions are undertaken. Another useful technique the poet uses is the lack of a clear or sane motive. Whilst we know that the narrator wants to preserve a precious moment, we are still left wondering why he took such rash action. Browning finishes the poem well with the line: “And yet God has not said a word!” This is a good end as it links in with a key theme of the poem, good versus evil.
Overall, Porphyria’s Lover does not appear to be a poem of it’s time. Whilst it begins like many poems of it’s time, the way in which sex is written of is different from most Victorian poems. Although the prudery of the era is sometimes thought of as a mask to hide the moral decay, Browning’s poem would still have shocked the reader both by the sexual content and the actions of the narrator.