3.1.4

Key Quotes & Comparisons

Test yourself on Key Quotes & Comparisons

Test your knowledge with free interactive questions on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

Key Quotations: Porphyria's Lover

Here's some key quotes to remember for your exam:

<b>'...God has not said a word!'

'...God has not said a word!'

  • 'And all night long we have not stirred, / And yet God has not said a word!'
    • This final claim suggests that the narrator believes that God has condoned what he has done, or that he has gotten away with his crime.
<b>'Murmuring how she loved [him]'

'Murmuring how she loved [him]'

  • All of Porphyria's speech is reported by the narrator.
  • Here, even while she is alive, our narrator is presenting her in a muffled and silent way – just the way he prefers her to be.
<b>'Sullen wind'

'Sullen wind'

  • Pathetic fallacy in the opening lines helps to create a stormy atmosphere.

Key Comparisons: Porphyria's Lover

Here are some suggestions for poems you could compare Porphyria's Lover to. Remember, there are endless options!

_The Farmer’s Bride_

The Farmer’s Bride

  • Similarities:
    • Obsessive love.
    • An unstable narrator.
_Love's Philosophy_

Love's Philosophy

  • You could contrast the ways in which they present manipulative lovers and how the two get what they want.
Jump to other topics
1

When We Two Parted - Lord Byron (1788-1824)

2

Love’s Philosophy - Percy Bysshe Shelley

3

Porphyria’s Lover - Robert Browning (1812-1889)

4

Sonnet 29 - Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)

4.1

Sonnet 29 – ‘I think of thee!’ Analysis

5

Neutral Tones - Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)

6

Letters from Yorkshire - Maura Dooley (Born 1957)

7

The Farmer’s Bride - Charlotte Mew (1869-1928)

8

Walking Away - Cecil Day Lewis (1904-1972)

9

Eden Rock - Charles Causley (1917-2003)

10

Follower - Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)

11

‘Mother, Any Distance’ - Simon Armitage (Born 1963

12

Before You Were Mine - Carol Ann Duffy (Born 1955)

13

Winter Swans - Owen Sheers (Born 1974)

14

Singh Song! - Daljit Nagra (Born 1966)

15

Climbing My Grandfather - Andrew Waterhouse

16

Grade 9 - Comparisons

16.1

Grade 9 - Comparisons

17

Recap: Main Quotes

Practice questions on Key Quotes & Comparisons

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
Answer all questions on Key Quotes & Comparisons

Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium

  • Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions

  • Mini-mock exams based on your study history

  • Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books

Get started with Seneca Premium