Sunday, June 27, 2010
Porphyria’s Lover
This poem seems to have a really unsettling feeling after reading because it seems that Browning tells of a woman so in love with a man, he strangles her to death and continues to sit next to her. This illustrates a dark side in Browning in that Porphyria is a beautiful woman in love with a man and wishes only to please him. However the man doesn’t know what to do with the love except kill her with her own hair. It seems “Porphyria worshipped [him]; surprise / Made [his] heart swell, and still it grew” (663). She seemed willing to do anything for him trying to talk to him and get his attention. This attention seemed to get to his head in that he have complete control over her and the one thing he wanted to do after was strangle her with her own hair. Also the last line seems to show that he understands what he did but even “God has not said a word” (663).
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Joe,
ReplyDeleteYour post tends to repeat the same point (the speaker strangles Porphyria with her hair) three different ways, but does not really analyze or explore that point. Also, you end by quoting a great line, but once again fail to analyze it. I would have liked to have seen a lot more critical thought and engagement with the texts.
I think u described the correct feeling t i got when i read this poem..."unsettling". I like that fact that you commented that the lover did not quit know what to do with love because when compared to many relationships a lot of individuals tend to strangle their lovers emotionally because they are not quit ready to love someone or even to receive love.
ReplyDeleteto go on from your last sentence, God has not said a word; I think that statement right there is the downfall of humanity, we wait on a "supernatural" God to come down and judge us for our sins, and he thinks he has done the right thing (the RIGHT thing, not just get away with murder) and he has convinced himself to do this because of a judgment from God, a little egotistic.
ReplyDelete