Judgment Through Rhetoric
Fabienne Calvert Filteau (0323778)
ENGL 200C F01
Dr. Shlensky
September 25, 2006
Through his tactful rhetoric, Robert Browning has a startling ability to evoke empathy for characters of questionable integrity and intent. “Porphyria’s Lover” is a dramatic monologue, written in verse, which reads as a convincing confessional. It is the account of one impassioned man’s reasoning for strangling his lover. Browning’s structure and delivery of the piece causes the reader to consider, and possibly accept, a man’s rationalization for murder.
The stage is set with a Victorian ‘dark and stormy night’ sort of introduction. A lovesick man sits alone in a cold, damp cottage while a wicked wind rips at the trees and stirs up the lake. Browning’s use of pathetic fallacy – a classic dramatic technique – suggests that some unsettling event will unravel on this night.
When Porphyria first appears, it is with a radiant presence which shifts the mood of the poem. Browning uses verbs with softer consonant sounds, such as “glided” and “rose” when describing Porphyria’s movements (1411). The setting changes from one where “a sullen wind…tore the elm-tops down for spite” to an inviting home where Porphyria “kneeled and made the cheerless grate/ Blaze up, and all the cottage warm…” (1411). Browning lures the reader with his tone, moving from the cold, clipped words used to describe the storm and the narrator’s solitude, to rounder, multi-syllabic language which entices one to slow down and linger inside awhile with these lovers.
Porphyria’s lover goes on to convey a scene in which he is comforted by his woman. It is an intimate scene. As the narrator is seduced by his lover’s soothing embrace, the reader is further seduced by the narrator’s apparent love for Porphyria. This is a man who holds his lover in an angelic light. His needy love borders on obsession. Browning conveys this worship through physical description and subtle detail. Porphyria has long “yellow hair” and “a smooth white shoulder”, the latter of which she exposes for her lover (1412). Put simply, she is acts as brightness in this man’s dark world. She calls her lover to her side and positions him as she sees fit. She is in control, and he is at her mercy. From this position, Porphyria, clearly aware of her power, goes on to gently break the news to her lover that although she loves him she cannot leave her other life to be with him forever. She does this in a self-deprecating way, speaking of her weakness, pride, and vanity, making it seem as if she doesn’t have the strength to leave her wealthier lifestyle for a deeper love.
The poem hinges on the following line, and the word “passion” (1412). Browning writes, “But sometimes passion would prevail…” (1412). At this point in the poem, the narrator, portrayed as a weak and needy man, feels empowered by his lover’s confession. He reaches the sudden realization that he can murder Porphyria, thus immortalizing her as his eternal love. This line is the moment in which the narrator’s downfall begins. He spends the remainder of the poem describing his act of murder, fuelled by passion.
Browning evokes empathy in the reader by creating a character who alleges to be driven by love. The murder was not cold and premeditated; it was the impulsive act of a struggling, passionate man, trying to grant his lover’s wish. Or so he claims. With the last line, “And God has not yet said a word!”, it becomes clear that the narrator has been up all night, waiting for God to pass judgment on his actions. With this, it also becomes clear that Browning is inviting – perhaps challenging – the reader to do the same.
Word Count: 598
Works Cited
Browning, Robert. "Porphyria's Lover" The Longman Anthology of British Literature Third Edition. Damrosh, D. et al, eds. Pearson Education, Inc.: USA, 2006. 1411-1413.
ENGL 200C F01
Dr. Shlensky
September 25, 2006
Through his tactful rhetoric, Robert Browning has a startling ability to evoke empathy for characters of questionable integrity and intent. “Porphyria’s Lover” is a dramatic monologue, written in verse, which reads as a convincing confessional. It is the account of one impassioned man’s reasoning for strangling his lover. Browning’s structure and delivery of the piece causes the reader to consider, and possibly accept, a man’s rationalization for murder.
The stage is set with a Victorian ‘dark and stormy night’ sort of introduction. A lovesick man sits alone in a cold, damp cottage while a wicked wind rips at the trees and stirs up the lake. Browning’s use of pathetic fallacy – a classic dramatic technique – suggests that some unsettling event will unravel on this night.
When Porphyria first appears, it is with a radiant presence which shifts the mood of the poem. Browning uses verbs with softer consonant sounds, such as “glided” and “rose” when describing Porphyria’s movements (1411). The setting changes from one where “a sullen wind…tore the elm-tops down for spite” to an inviting home where Porphyria “kneeled and made the cheerless grate/ Blaze up, and all the cottage warm…” (1411). Browning lures the reader with his tone, moving from the cold, clipped words used to describe the storm and the narrator’s solitude, to rounder, multi-syllabic language which entices one to slow down and linger inside awhile with these lovers.
Porphyria’s lover goes on to convey a scene in which he is comforted by his woman. It is an intimate scene. As the narrator is seduced by his lover’s soothing embrace, the reader is further seduced by the narrator’s apparent love for Porphyria. This is a man who holds his lover in an angelic light. His needy love borders on obsession. Browning conveys this worship through physical description and subtle detail. Porphyria has long “yellow hair” and “a smooth white shoulder”, the latter of which she exposes for her lover (1412). Put simply, she is acts as brightness in this man’s dark world. She calls her lover to her side and positions him as she sees fit. She is in control, and he is at her mercy. From this position, Porphyria, clearly aware of her power, goes on to gently break the news to her lover that although she loves him she cannot leave her other life to be with him forever. She does this in a self-deprecating way, speaking of her weakness, pride, and vanity, making it seem as if she doesn’t have the strength to leave her wealthier lifestyle for a deeper love.
The poem hinges on the following line, and the word “passion” (1412). Browning writes, “But sometimes passion would prevail…” (1412). At this point in the poem, the narrator, portrayed as a weak and needy man, feels empowered by his lover’s confession. He reaches the sudden realization that he can murder Porphyria, thus immortalizing her as his eternal love. This line is the moment in which the narrator’s downfall begins. He spends the remainder of the poem describing his act of murder, fuelled by passion.
Browning evokes empathy in the reader by creating a character who alleges to be driven by love. The murder was not cold and premeditated; it was the impulsive act of a struggling, passionate man, trying to grant his lover’s wish. Or so he claims. With the last line, “And God has not yet said a word!”, it becomes clear that the narrator has been up all night, waiting for God to pass judgment on his actions. With this, it also becomes clear that Browning is inviting – perhaps challenging – the reader to do the same.
Word Count: 598
Works Cited
Browning, Robert. "Porphyria's Lover" The Longman Anthology of British Literature Third Edition. Damrosh, D. et al, eds. Pearson Education, Inc.: USA, 2006. 1411-1413.
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