I enjoyed reading about Robert Browning's life. I felt there was a definite comparison in the way both he and Elizabeth Browning were perceived as operating behind artistic masks. Elizabeth seem to interject imagery in her writing (damsel in distress rescued by noble knight), while Robert Browning tended to use impersonations and staging as his platform.
This poem literally made the hair on my arms stand up! It made me think of a screen play or suspense movie. The initial lines gave me the impression that a sexual or passionate experience was about to happen when the author says:
"When glided in Porphyria straight" (Line 6)
"She put my arm about her waist, and made her smooth white shoulder bare, and all her yellow hair displaced and, stooping, made my cheek lie there." (Line 16 - 19)
It appeared to me Browning was boastful that Porphyria appeared to have surrended herself to him. But in split moment, he switched "masks" and becomes a murderer and strangled her to death.
"That moment she was mine, mine, fair,
Perfectly pure and good; I found
A thing to do, and all her hair in one long yellow string I wound; three times her little throat around; and strangled her." (Line36 - 41)
His demented actions continued as he propped her up to spend my time with her after her death.
I love the way this author takes the reader to places you never could imagine it would go. His private and simple personal life contrasted with his methodical and dramatic writings. This is what I enjoyed the most.
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I too really enjoyed this poem. I found it interesting the way Browning's character did murder the girl. In his weird way, it was Browning's way of preserving that girl's innocence. In order to prevent her from becoming immoral, her life was taken, and in that, the "lover" could always enjoy her, and never tire of her.
ReplyDeleteI wrote about this, also, and it also made my hair stand up! I like how you labeled his actions demented- so true- and I'm with you there. He did employ a lot of imagination. Who else would think of this stuff? It's weird, but thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteAngela,
ReplyDeleteGreat job of expressing your visceral reaction to Browning's dramatic monologue! I like that you don't just stop with your hair-raising reaction, though, but also analyze the poem more objectively, too. By the way, be sure not to say that Browning is a character in the poem; he is the poet, but the narrator and murdering main character is not the poet. Robert Browning never, as far as I know, strangled anyone!
I agree that this poem did contain that suspense to it. The initial innocence of the situation followed by a murder really shocked me. It was completely unexpected and the ending was rather disturbing. I do wonder as to the message he was sending, for I initially saw it as a warning to young girls but I see Leanne's take on preserving of the innocence.
ReplyDeleteAngela I felt the same way and believe it or not out of all of the poems, this one is the one that stayed on my mind. I felt the same way initially when I read it, the suspense of what is he going to do..kiss her..hug her..I never thought he was going to murder her. There goes the saying "love you to death."
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