A study of "Porphyria's Lover" and " My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning.

In Porphyria's lover by Robert Browning, the narrator who is also the lover in the poem, describes a story in which an upper class woman treats him as if she owns him like a possession rather than as a lover. She walks into his house and rearranges the way he is sitting to show she has power and is in control. Porphyria , the woman, calls his name but he is angry and hurt that he was the least important thing on her list of things to do so he does not reply

"And last, she sat down by my side and

called me. When no voice replied, She

put my arm about her waist, and made

her smooth white shoulder bare."

Porphyria shows power again by trying to get his attention by seducing him and telling the narrator she loves him. This surprises the narrator but still he sticks to his plan. The narrator puts Porphyria into a false sense of security then strangles her with her hair finally putting him in control and he has power. He rearranges the way she is sitting and he sat next to her all night to keep the moment forever.

The poem "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning is about a very wealthy Italian Duke who is extremely proud of his family name. The duke is showing a group of important visitors, who are from the father of the woman he considers to be his next wife, around his palace and showing them his possessions. He stops at a large painting and draws the curtains to reveal a portrait of " my last duchess" (his last wife). Later in the poem we find out that the duke ordered his wife's death.

" I gave commands, then all smiles

stopped together!!"

The poem is a dramatic monologue told in the first person prospective. The setting of the poem is cold and detached and the words seem very unemotional. The poem describes the Duke as arrogant and bitter and the way he tells the visitors about how he ordered his last wife's death tells us he is a very unemotional, jealous and dismissive man.

"Oh sir, she smiled, no doubt, whene,er

I passed her; but who passed without

Much the same smile? This grew; I

Gave commands;"

There are many similarities between the two poems by Robert Browning, both poems are about a relationship not necessarily based on love but on power and control. In each poem the women have been murdered, the murders were deliberate and calculated and both due to control, power and jealousy. Both poems are dramatic monologues with a male narrator and seen from the male perspective.

There are also many differences between the poems. In Porphyrias lover the relationship and emotions are far more intense and in a way they actually do love each other where as in my last duchess his wife is more a possession for him to use and show off than a loving wife for him to cherish. In Porphyrias lover the narrator describes the setting of the poem, it tells you about the weather, what they look like, what clothes they are wearing and it gradually sets the scene with visual detail. In my last duchess it just tells you what's happening straight away without setting the scene. This is because in my last duchess the poem is about a man showing guests around so the audience is the guests but in Porphyria's lover the reader is the audience so they need to describe everything in detail to help us imagine what it looks like as we are not there to see it. The main differences between the poems are the murders themselves in Porphyria's lover the narrator actually kills the woman but in my last duchess the Duke only gives the orders for her death and someone else physically murders her.