“Porphyria’s Lover “ is one of the famous poems by Browning that gains the attention of the critics and this has become critically issued. This poem published in the year of 1836.

This is basically a dramatic monologue written about love and some melodramatic features also can be found here. Here Porphyria becomes the lover of the speaker and he is talking about love.

Summary of Porphyria’s Lover by Robert Browning

Analysis of Porphyria’s Lover

In the first line, poet is speaking that the rain stop falling down on that day and the night becomes dark and wind awake and blowing. “It stores the elm-tops” here the

the poet is just describing the night and what is happening.

The wind is rough and it is disturbing the lake that lies calm. Poet is listening to that sound that the wind is breaking something. Then suddenly the poet changes his motif to Porphyria.

She closed the door to stop cold breezes and the storm. In the next line, the poet is uttering the works of Porphyria that after sitting kneeled she is making cheerless grate. Maybe this line proofs that Porphyria loves the speaker and that is why she making the speaker embarrassed.

Then we, the readers will get imagery where after blazing up the fire she rises and comes to the poet,

“Withdrew the dripping cloak and shawl”

This line signifies the deep sexuality of the woman who left her cloak and shawl. And she opens her gloves in the soil. From this one thing is coming out that is the weather.

It is a night of winter. Then the woman again putting off her hat and her hair is falling to her neck. Then sho comes to the poet and sitting by her side.

Porphyria’s Lover John Donne

So the first lines of the poem are very specifically made for the beloved to whom the poet has given the name, Porphyria.

“She put my arm about her waist,
And made her smooth white shoulder
Bare,”

There is also a romantic imagination can come into the mind of the readers. Because her bare shoulder addressing sexuality. The woman displaces her hair and she let the poet’s hand stay at her shoulder.

The love becomes now relevant and she is asking about love. They are getting happening like the fire warms that is giving heat to them.

“But passion sometimes would prevail,”

It seems that the speaker is talking about the passion of love that they both have for each other. Poet is addressing the night as, “gay feast” which means this night is pleasant to them.

But suddenly a sweet sorrow comes to the mind of Porphyria and she comes with the rain. Rain is used to symbolize tears. She starts crying.

When the speaker looking at her eyes he could see the tears are of “happy and proud”. Because the journey of love is exposed as hard work. The next line expressing the greatness of love,

“Porphyria worshipped me;”

Here this is very relevant because overcoming all disaster getting love is must be filled with sorrowful happiness. Their tears expressing the love between two people. And surprisingly the poet’s heart is getting swelled and he is thinking for the next. That moment she becomes only of the poet. His words are filled with love and he himself says that,

“Perfectly pure and good:”

When someone is talking about his love that means the man would be gentle about his love. And the poet is also not an exception. Then the poet thinks what he will do and now he strangled her. She does not felt pain and the poet knows that she will never feel that. Then the poet is looking at her and her blue her making poet mad in love.

“her cheek once more

Blushed bright beneath my burning kiss:”

Then the poet kissed her and Porphyria’ blushed brightly because of the worm kiss. So from every part poet’s love is focused. The speaker now propped her face and he extends his shoulder to place her head.

“The smiling rosy little head” is very significant that speaks the woman is younger than him.

Porphyria’s love is the major part of this poem by that poet is expressing the long journey of love and also signifies beauty. So like the posture they are sitting together and whole night sited at the same place and have not stirred.

“And yet god has not said a word!”

In the poems of Robert Browning, we always find the reference of god and here also he again talking about god. That he is looking at the poet and he is also feeling blessed to see them together.

Poetical Words and Rhetorical Devices

The poem, “Porphyria’s Lover “ is filled with the human sentiments of love. And after having a hard journey getting love is precious. In this poem, the poet is focusing on that part. The rhyming pattern of the poem is ‘ababb’.

Not only that in this poem readers can get various images like nature’s, fires. Moreover, the poet snatched the mind of the readers by presenting the poem in a disciplined manner.