How does Robert Browning use the dramatic monologue to portray madness in his poems
How does Robert Browning use the dramatic monologue to portray madness in his poems "My Last Duchess" and "Porphyria's Lover"? A dramatic monologue is when a character in a piece of writing speaks their thoughts and feelings out loud. It is used because it gives an insight into the persons mind. Browning chose this form for the two poems because it makes the poem feel more realistic and you know everything the character is feeling it also subconsciously makes the reader feel certain emotions towards particular characters. The poems reflect the Victorian mind by talking about madness. During the Victorian era madness was considered taboo- respectable people did not speak of it whether in public or in private, but thought about them all the same. Victorians had to repress sexual emotions as it was considered to be highly disrespectful to yourself. Victorians loved to read and as it was wrong for them to talk about madness, sex and violence, they would read about it instead, this was a way of liberating the repressed emotions. Victorians were allowed to read about the subjects because it is not them who is in the wrong it is the characters in the story. The same applies to writing about taboo subjects - if you made out that it is somebody else doing it then it is acceptable. Browning's readers would have been most interested in the violence and madness in these poems, as
A Comparison Between 'Porphyria's Lover' And 'The Laboratory'
A Comparison Between 'Porphyria's Lover' And 'The Laboratory' Robert Browning lived during the Victorian era and wrote poems on a wide variety of subjects. Browning was intrigued by abnormal states of mind and two poems based upon this were 'Porphyria's Lover', written in 1836, and 'The Laboratory', written in 1844. Porphyria's Lover' is an account of a young woman's last moments alive written by her lover and murderer. The poem opens on a wild, stormy night with the gentleman sitting alone and depressed. The gentleman's lover, Porphyria, entered the cottage and lit a fire in the grate. Once the woman had removed her hat, coat and shawl she called the gentleman to her, he didn't reply so she approached him and put her arms around his waist. The woman then proceeded to lean her lovers head against her bare shoulder and whispered that she loved him. The lines; Too weak for all her hearts endeavour, To set its struggling passion free. From pride and vainer ties dissever, And give her self to me for ever. Suggest that Porphyria was possibly of a higher social class than her lover and could not commit herself to him as it would be frowned upon. After a moment's thought, the gentleman realises this woman must love him as she was at a 'gay feast', but her love and passion for him willed her to leave the feast and travel through the storm to be with him. It was in that
Many Men in Victorian Britain Feared Some Women's Desire for Independence. How does Browning Reflect this Fear in his Poem, 'Porphyria's Lover'?
Many Men in Victorian Britain Feared Some Women's Desire for Independence. How does Browning Reflect this Fear in his Poem, 'Porphyria's Lover'? Amy Sanders Many men in Victorian Britain were concerned with some women's desire for independence; they feared that they could loose their dominion and supremacy over them, which was a valued and respected custom. The men cherished their pre-eminence over their spouses; the thought of being deprived of it aggravated them and they believed that they needed to protect it in order to maintain their valued traditions. The Victorian's once civilized and courteous lifestyle, where women obeyed every man's wish, had been overwhelmed by the ever-growing popularity of scandalous stories displayed enticingly in the media. As a consequence of society taking a greater interest and curiosity in previously taboo topics such as sex, violence, promiscuity and madness - topics newspapers thrive off - the media had its biggest development during the Victorian period. Access to read about these 'dissolute' and 'immoral' matters therefore increased, subsequently, more of society became influenced by the disobedient minority. Gradually, it became more normal to act violent or to sleep around - it was still seen as immoral but more people took to it While society's loss of morals increased, the women's ability to gain independence became easier.
The Life of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning
The Life of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning Robert Browning English poet, noted for his mastery of dramatic monologue. Robert Browning was long unsuccessful as a poet and financially dependent upon his family until he was well into adulthood. In his best works people from the past reveal their thoughts and lives as if speaking or thinking aloud. "Be sure I looked up her eyes --Happy and proud; at last I knew Porphyria worshipped me; surprise --Made my heart swell, and still it grew --While I debated what to do. That moment she was mine, mine, fair, --Perfectly pure and good; I found A thing to do, and all her hair --In one long yellow string I wound --Three times her little throat around, And strangled her. No pain felt she; --I am quite sure she felt no pain." (From 'Porphyria's Lover' in Dramatic Lyrics, 1842) Robert Browning was born in Camberwell, south London, as the son of Robert Browning, a wealthy clerk in the Bank of England, and Sarah Anna Wiedemann, of German-Scottish origin. Robert Browning Senior had spent in his youth some time on the Caribbean island of St Kitts, where he becomes disgusted at the slaves' treatment. Back at England, he thought of a career of an artist, but eventually accepted his job at the bank. Sarah Anna loved music and gardening. The historian Thomas Carlyle called her "the true type of a Scottish gentlewoman".
"Stealing" by Carol Ann Duffy and "Porphyria's Lover" by Robert Browning, will be compared and contrasted on the ways that the poets reveal their narrator's personalities
How do Duffy and Browning reveal the characters of their narrators? The two poems, "Stealing" by Carol Ann Duffy and "Porphyria's Lover" by Robert Browning, will be compared and contrasted on the ways that the poets reveal their narrator's personalities and how they express their feelings towards their surroundings and lives. In the poem "Stealing", the narrator, an outcast to society, decides to steal a snowman because he is in need of a friend. The narrator appears disturbed and behaves in an anti-social manner. In "Porphyria's lover", the narrator awaits for his lover, Porphyria, who returns from a social gathering. Porphyria is married and is having an affair with the narrator. Then the narrator strangles her. The fact that they are both outcasts to society provides a useful starting point for comparison. There are numerous differences and similarities between the narrators such as, the way how both narrators are isolated from society and, at different points in the poems; they become cut-off from human contact. However, the narrator in "Stealing" has to create a "mate" (the snowman) because he is unable to communicate with other humans: "I wanted him, a mate" The use of colloquial slang, "mate", emphasises how he addresses the reader, and it is sad because it shows that the narrator is lonely and is desperately in need of a friend, so desperate that he has to resort
‘Tis Strange To Me’ by Hartley Coleridge, and ‘Home Thoughts from Abroad’ by Robert Browning.
English Poetry Coursework Some of the greatest poets to have ever lived spent some of their lives abroad. During this time, many wrote poems describing their memories of home and their thoughts of exile. These poems were a way of sharing their despairs, and letting other know of their longing, or lack of longing, to go home to their birthplace. In particular we are studying the work of Charlotte Brontë, Robert Browning and Hartley Coleridge, three of the poets who recorded their thoughts of their exiled homes. The three poems are very different, yet they still convey the sense of longing to go home to the reader. In this essay, we will examine the ways in which the writer expresses his need to return home, and we will do this by comparing and contrasting the poems, techniques and feelings of the poet. The two poems which I feel should be examined in more detail are 'Tis Strange To Me' by Hartley Coleridge, and 'Home Thoughts from Abroad' by Robert Browning. These two poems communicate both poets' feelings towards their exiled home and convey the sense of longing to go home to the reader. The poet Shelley describes Italy as "Paradise of Exiles." However, 'Home Thoughts From Abroad' very much contradicts this assertion. The poet, Robert Browning, writes about his yearning to return to England. He travelled to Italy in 1838, at the age of 26, and lived for many
Comment on Browning's presentation of power relationships between men and women in 'My last Duchess' and 'Porphyria's lover'.
Lakshman Nandwani English poetry coursework Comment on Browning's presentation of power relationships between men and women in 'My last Duchess' and 'Porphyria's lover' 'My Last Duchess' and 'Porphyria's Lover' are both dramatic monologues presenting the poems as confessions with a single narrator in each poem. In these two poems, Browning tries to expose the truth behind what people have stereotyped men and women from the Victorian times and the Renaissance times. Men were seen to be the protector and provider and women were envisioned as passive people. On the outside, men seemed to have power and control, but in reality many of them were insecure and it was the woman who had the power. In 'My Last Duchess' the author presents the poem showing the Duke as a man with a lot of power especially against his wife and the envoy, he is talking to. In the title itself we can realise that the Duke thinks of his wife as a possession. The fact that "My" comes before "Duchess" shows one aspect of the relationship between the Duke and the Duchess. The poem has a structured rhyme scheme. There are ten syllables a line; therefore it is an iambic parameter. The rhyming meter is 'aa bb cc'. Even though the poem is structured evenly the rhyme is not realised as easily, yet it is fluent. The rhyming is every two lines. Examples of this rhyming scheme are: wall, call/ hands, stands...This
Comparing and Contrasting My Last Duchess and Porphyrias Lover
Comparing and Contrasting 'My Last Duchess' and 'Porphyria's Lover' Robert Browning's fame rests today with his dramatic monologues, such as "My Last Duchess" and "Porphyria's Lover". Unlike soliloquies, the point of a dramatic monologue, are not the words that are directly spoken, it is what the speaker subtly gives away. Both "My Last Duchess" and "Porphyria's Lover" are dramatic monologues, that are therefore centred around a single male character, telling the reader about events which have already taken place, although, once one has read the poems, one does get the sense that while the events in "My Last Duchess" took place some time ago, those in "Porphyria's Lover" have only just happened. Due to the story of the poem being told from the point of view of an individual, the account is completely biased. Written in the Victorian, there is a major difference in the perception of women in polite society than there is today. This key issue is highlighted up in "My Last Duchess" and "Porphyria's Lover". While there was a huge difference between the upper and lower tiers of society, their ambitions of both were remarkably the same: to do better for one's self and one's family. However, the ability to do so was what separated the classes. While the divide between classes was a very clear one, there was another main divide in the classes themselves, that of sex. While men were
Comparison between two poems - We have been reading two different poems 'Porphyria's Lover' by Robert Browning and 'The Sisters' by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
Comparison between two poems We have been reading two different poems 'Porphyria's Lover' by Robert Browning and 'The Sisters' by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The murderer In both stories there is a murder. These murders are committed by a lover. In 'Porphyria's Lover' the murderer is the man. He murdered her to keep her pure and to himself. He thought that Porphyria would have wanted him to do it. He also thought that she loved him a lot. He thought this because she came home from the party that she was at just to see him. This man killed Porphyria by strangling her with her own hair. He got it in one long yellow string and raped it around her throat three times. The murderers state of mind was not good. He was insane. He thought that just because he hadn't had a sing or heard a voice or anything like that from god it was ok to have killed her, because god hadn't said anything what he did was all right. This shows definite madness. This man was also lying to himself to make it better. He had to repeat that she felt no pain. This shows that he had to convince him self. Also he said that her eyes were looking up at her and laughing at him without a stain in then. If a person is strangled their eyes would be blood spotted, so his statement cannot be right. He makes it as if nothing had happened by putting her head on his shoulder. He also says then "the smiling
Compare Browning's portrayal of the men and their relationships in 'My Last Duchess'and 'Porphyria's Lover'
Compare Browning's portrayal of the men and their relationships in 'My Last Duchess' and 'Porphyria's Lover' Robert Browning's poems 'Porphyria's Lover' and 'My Last Duchess' are both written in the form of dramatic monologues. This is when one speaker tells the poem to either a real audience or an implied audience. This means the poem is from one perspective and shows how the men want to mould the women into their own perceptions of how they should behave. 'Porphyria's Lover' is told to an implied audience whereas the duke in 'My Last Duchess' is making his speech to a servant. Browning writes both poems in this form in order to silence the women in the poems, portraying the men as controlling and the women as vulnerable. This silencing of the women portrays how women were treated throughout the Victorian period. Women rarely had a strong voice to air their opinions, especially in marriage. Both poems have a definite rhyme scheme. 'Porphyria's Lover' has an ABABB rhyme scheme. This emphasises the desire of the lover narrating the poem to be with Porphyria. The A rhymes want to be together, however the B rhymes are sending them apart. The lines of the poem with B rhymes are also indented emphasising how they are being driven apart mainly by the difference in the couple's social status but also by how they are not married. However, in 'My Last Duchess' the rhyme scheme