A comparison between

The tone in these poems is important as it acts as a contrast to the content of the poem. In "My Last Duchess", Browning uses a soft tone and describes the Duke having the Duchess killed subtly, " This grew; I gave commands;/ Then all smiles stopped together." Browning describes this without changing the tone.

However in "Porphyria's Lover" the tone is normal and soft throughout the poem until the point in which the Lover murders Porphyria, "In one long yellow string I wound/ Three times her little throat around". This is bold compared to "My Last Duchess". In addition, here the use of enjambment is effective because it gives the reader the image of the yellow hair being wrapped around Porphyria's neck

The rhythm in this poem is consistent give a relaxed atmosphere in the poem. This is effective because it makes the Duke revealing he had his wife murdered more shocking. Browning jars the rhythm in the poem where the duke reveals he had his wife killed.

Browning also uses an effective rhyming scheme. He uses rhyming couplets to make the poem flow easily. For example in "My Last Duchess" he writes, "Frà Pandolf's hands/ Worked busily a day, and there she stands".

The regular rhyme in "Porphyria's Lover" gives the poem a relaxed rhyme but off rhymes give a shocking effect at the point where the lover murders Porphyria

Browning use enjambment effectively in both poems. More so in "Porphyria's Lover". The lines do not employ end-stops; sentences and other grammatical units do not necessarily conclude at the end of lines.

This happens more so in "Porphyria's Lover". The lover describes Porphyria removing her wet hat, "untied/ Her hat and let the damp hair fall". The use of enjambment here gives the image of her long blonde hair falling from beneath her hat. This is effective because it gives the reader the image of her hair moving out of position.

Browning uses language very effectively in these poems.

In "My Last Duchess" Browning use diminutive language to describe the way the Duke behaves. He says " Even had you skill/ In speech- (which I have not)". He uses this rhetorical question to deliberately lower himself when talking to the Count's ambassador to impress him. He is willing to change his personality completely from arrogant and self-obsessive to courteous. The Duchess does not care about stooping to different levels.

In a similar way to the duke, Porphyria is able to lower herself so that her lover will love her, " She put my arm around her waist,/ and made her smooth white shoulder bare". she gives all of her love and attention to the Lover. The atmospheres in the poems are quite different due to how the men react around their lovers.

We first learn of how devoted to her lover Porphyria is when she first enters the cottage. She arrives through the stormy weather. Browning uses personification to describe the wind. "It tore the elm-tops down for spite,/ And did its worst to vex the lake". If Porphyria has come through this weather just to see her lover, he must be special to her.

By the Lover thinking that Phorphyria worships him he thinks that he is above her (in class) as you only worship someone of a higher and more dignified class. In 'My Last Duchess' the Duke is of a higher class than the Duchess because she chooses to stoop.

In "My Last Duchess" the Duchess is giving the same amount of love and attention to all the people giving her compliments and gifts including the Duke. He is annoyed by this and says "My favour at her breast,/ The dropping of the sun in the West/ The white mule she rode with round the terrace- all and each draw from her alike the approving speech."

The relationships in these two poems are completely different. Porphyria and her lover are very close and affectionate and passionate whereas the Duke and the Duchess are cold and almost distant to each other. This relates to the atmosphere and mood being different.

In "Porphyria's Lover" the lover describes Porphyria's dead body as "little". Browning uses diminutio here to portray the image of the lover having absolute control.

In "My Last Duchess" the Duke describes the Duchess as if she were his possesion. He refers to the Duchess as "my lady". This symbolises complete power and possesviness over her.

In a similar way the lover in "Porphyria's Lover" is an abnormally possessive lover, passionate and obsessive. From the knowledge of the characters you are given through the poems you see that they are both possessive and this is the reason why both of the characters kill their lovers.

"She was mine, mine, fair,/ Perfectly pure and good". This is what the lover said before he killed Porphyria. He kills her because at that precise moment in time he has complete power and control over Porphyria and wants to preserve this.

Browning uses a simile extremely effectively in "Porphyria's Lover" to describe the body of Porphyria. He says "As a shut bud that holds a bee". This gives the reader the image that her soul is still alive but her body is dead. The bud is shut and the bee is still alive inside of it.

Overall, I found these poems both quite enjoyable to read. I enjoyed "My Last Duchess" less than I enjoyed "Porphyria's Lover". This is because the murder in "Porphyria's Lover" was so unexpected and a shock whereas in "My Last Duchess", it was written more subtly giving it less excitement.

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