Porphyria’s Needs

Prophyria’s lover is not a crazy man. From a first reading of Porphyria’s Lover by Browning, one might think that the speaker of this Victoria dramatic monologue is a raving homicidal lunatic. The evidence that points to that conclusion may seem strong but the evidence pointing to his innocence and his true love is stronger.
The mood is set straight in the first six lines of the poem. It is rainy and windy, not a nice night to be walking about in the country, but Porphyria needs her lover. The speaker, awaiting his lover’s appearance “listened with a heart fit to break.[1]” He is nervous; tonight he must prove his true love. Porphyria enters without knocking. She makes a fire and goes to her lover. It is evident from these actions that Porphyria and her lover have a relationship of some substance. There is tension in the room; as Porphyria calls to her lover she gets no response. Porphyria sits by his side, wraps his arm around her and makes “her smooth white shoulder bare” to prepare her body for an act of true love[2].
Next, lying on the couch are two entwined lovers murmuring sweet nothings. Porphyria’s lover is preparing himself for the act that he must commit. When the right moment presented itself, when he knew that Porphyria “worshiped” him, he did what he had to do[3]. He wound her hair around her bare neck and strangled her to a “perfectly pure and good” death[4].
This beautiful act has saved Porphyria. It may be contested that Porphyria’s lover killed her to hoard her for himself, but death is what Porphyria wanted. Porphyria had wished for death. Porphyria “guessed not how/ her darling one wish would be heard,” and her lover believes that he fulfilled that wish[5].
Porphyria is ill. She is “too weak” to love and perhaps too weak to live[6]. She is suffering, her description sounds like she is diseased. Browning could not have named Porphyria for no significance for Porphyria is a blood disorder with symptoms of weakness and pale skin from loss of blood[7]. Porphyria is ill, she wants to die.
Was Porphyira’s lover so in love that he could euthanize her? Porphyria’s lover is tormented, evident in his description of nature and he can not speak to respond to his love. He sits there awaiting his lover knowing that she will have to die. After killing his lover he checks her eyes, there is no “stain” of blame, and he plants a passionate “burning” kiss on her cheek[8]. He is surprised that God has not responded to him, for what he did was perfectly moral and honest. He is so in love that he lays in vigil with her body, with her “smiling head,” she is happy to be free[9].
Porphyria’s lover committed an act of pure love, an act that he was asked to do. He wanted nothing but to grant his lover’s wish and set free from this painful world. It is astonishing that Browning could imagine a love so strong and pure that one lover would do anything for the other.
[1] Browning, Porphyria’s Lover l. 5
[2] Browning, Porphyria’s Lover l. 17
[3] Browning, Porphyria’s Lover l. 33
[4] Browning, Porphyria’s Lover l. 37
[5] Browning, Porphyria’s Lover ll. 56, 57.
[6] Browning, Porphyria’s lover l. 28
[7] The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
[8] Browning, Porphyria’s Lover ll. 45, 48.
[9] Browning, Porphyria’s Lover l. 52