A Very Insecure Man
Caley Alexander
ENGL 200C F01
Dr. Shlensky
Close Reading #1
September 25, 2006
A Very Insecure Man
Simply known as “Porphyria’s lover,” the narrator in Robert Browning’s poem of this title does not explicitly share with the reader any insight into his own character. However, there are subtle undertones to this poem that allow the reader to understand the narrator’s persona.
The very opening of the poem displays how insecure Porphyria’s lover is. While the mood in the opening of the poem is dark, and the narrator makes use of pathetic fallacy to impress his own emotions and feelings of anger upon the weather, he fails to convince the reader that these are his actual feelings. He describes a raging storm just beginning to stir as a way of conveying the impression that his mind is gradually filling with some unseen fury that has been awakened within him. However, the way the narrator says that the storm “did its worst to vex the lake” (1411) makes the reader think that even he is unconvinced of his anger. It is as if the narrator is aware of the fact that he is trying his hardest to be upset and outraged at Porphyria for her lack of commitment to “give herself to [him] for ever” (1412), but he is just so utterly consumed by his love for her that he cannot bring himself to do so. The line where he describes himself as “listen[ing] with heart fit to break” (1411) only serves to validate his feelings of insecurity: he is waiting with baited breath for Porphyria to return to him, and is uncertain that she will do so.
Upon Porphyria’s entrance into the scene, the narrator again resumes his angry façade as a way to test Porphyria’s love and interest in him. Like a child, he gives her the silent treatment as a way of gaining her attention, but not before explicitly pointing out to the reader that Porphyria’s actions of starting a fire (1411) and removing her “dripping cloak… shawl… [and] soiled gloves” (1412) took precedence to her “last” action of “sit[ting] down by [his] side”. It seems that the narrator believes that she should have come rushing over to lavish him in her attention as soon as she arrived at his home. The fact that she did not do this probably makes the narrator question her interest and love for him. He is constantly in need of validation from Porphyria, and she is aware of this. This is demonstrated in the way she “put[s] his arm about her waist” (1412) and makes his cheek lie on her shoulder while she “murmur[s] how she loves [him]” (1412). The reader gets the impression that Porphyria is simply doing these things to pacify the narrator.
The narrator goes on the mention his “surprise” at the realization that “Porphyria worships [him]” (1412). This realization seems to be the catalyst to the narrator’s inspiration to strangle Porphyria with her own hair as a means to preserve this moment of certainty and confidence in her feelings for him. As mentioned above, the narrator is in constant need of validation from Porphyria, and when the moment comes that he understands how she does truly love him, he feels compelled to act in a way that will allow him to live in this moment forever.
Browning’s Porphyria’s Lover gives the reader a very subtle awareness into the narrator’s personality. He is lacking in confidence, and needs others, particularily Porphyria, to make him feel like he is deserving of love. Ultimately it is the narrator’s insecurities that drive him to insanity and bring about the murder of Porphyria as a means of preserving his own self-esteem and confidence.
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
Close Reading #1
September 25, 2006
A Very Insecure Man
Simply known as “Porphyria’s lover,” the narrator in Robert Browning’s poem of this title does not explicitly share with the reader any insight into his own character. However, there are subtle undertones to this poem that allow the reader to understand the narrator’s persona.
The very opening of the poem displays how insecure Porphyria’s lover is. While the mood in the opening of the poem is dark, and the narrator makes use of pathetic fallacy to impress his own emotions and feelings of anger upon the weather, he fails to convince the reader that these are his actual feelings. He describes a raging storm just beginning to stir as a way of conveying the impression that his mind is gradually filling with some unseen fury that has been awakened within him. However, the way the narrator says that the storm “did its worst to vex the lake” (1411) makes the reader think that even he is unconvinced of his anger. It is as if the narrator is aware of the fact that he is trying his hardest to be upset and outraged at Porphyria for her lack of commitment to “give herself to [him] for ever” (1412), but he is just so utterly consumed by his love for her that he cannot bring himself to do so. The line where he describes himself as “listen[ing] with heart fit to break” (1411) only serves to validate his feelings of insecurity: he is waiting with baited breath for Porphyria to return to him, and is uncertain that she will do so.
Upon Porphyria’s entrance into the scene, the narrator again resumes his angry façade as a way to test Porphyria’s love and interest in him. Like a child, he gives her the silent treatment as a way of gaining her attention, but not before explicitly pointing out to the reader that Porphyria’s actions of starting a fire (1411) and removing her “dripping cloak… shawl… [and] soiled gloves” (1412) took precedence to her “last” action of “sit[ting] down by [his] side”. It seems that the narrator believes that she should have come rushing over to lavish him in her attention as soon as she arrived at his home. The fact that she did not do this probably makes the narrator question her interest and love for him. He is constantly in need of validation from Porphyria, and she is aware of this. This is demonstrated in the way she “put[s] his arm about her waist” (1412) and makes his cheek lie on her shoulder while she “murmur[s] how she loves [him]” (1412). The reader gets the impression that Porphyria is simply doing these things to pacify the narrator.
The narrator goes on the mention his “surprise” at the realization that “Porphyria worships [him]” (1412). This realization seems to be the catalyst to the narrator’s inspiration to strangle Porphyria with her own hair as a means to preserve this moment of certainty and confidence in her feelings for him. As mentioned above, the narrator is in constant need of validation from Porphyria, and when the moment comes that he understands how she does truly love him, he feels compelled to act in a way that will allow him to live in this moment forever.
Browning’s Porphyria’s Lover gives the reader a very subtle awareness into the narrator’s personality. He is lacking in confidence, and needs others, particularily Porphyria, to make him feel like he is deserving of love. Ultimately it is the narrator’s insecurities that drive him to insanity and bring about the murder of Porphyria as a means of preserving his own self-esteem and confidence.
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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