Themes: Porphyria & Violence
English Lit: AQA GCSE Poetry - Love & Relationships, topic 3.1.2
Changing Descriptions of Porphyria
The way Porphyria is portrayed changes throughout the poem.
Beginning - control
- At the beginning, we get the sense that she is in control.
- She is active as she 'glid[es]' in, starts the fire and 'put[s]' her lover's arm around her.
- She is in complete control up until this point – our narrator has done and said very little.
- She clearly was an active participant in the relationship.
End - dead
- But by the end of the poem, she is dead.
- She is 'propped' up, and her supposed 'utmost will' and 'darling one wish' have been fulfilled.
- Browning highlights Porphyria’s passive participation in the relationship to show the narrator’s flawed (imperfect or weak) understanding of Porphyria’s desires.
Images of Violence and Possession
The poet explores the ideas of violence and possession through these images.
'Burning kiss'
- This shows how the narrator's desire for Porphyria almost causes him physical pain. It also hints at the violent side of the relationship.
'Heart fit to break'
- This quote shows the tortured nature of the narrator's love.
- It is also ironic given that he has physically stopped Porphyria's heart.
'For ever'
- The narrator desires for her to belong to him "for ever".
- This indicates the extent of his obsession with her and is made more horrible by the fact that she is now dead.
Test yourself on Themes: Porphyria & Violence
Changes in Porphyria
How does the narrator describe Porphyria at the beginning and end of the poem?
What quotation is used to describe Porphyria's movement at the beginning of the poem?
Which of these quotes shows the narrator's desire to possess Porphyria for a very long time?