Robert Browning's love story between Elizabeth and himself was quite a thrill to read about. It almost seemed like it was from a romance novel. He loved her writings and later instantly fell in love with her upon their first meeting. They even had a "secret" relationship from the evil father that had forbidden marriages in the family. He tried quite hard to have his pieces known and read.
Porphyria's Lover at first was confusing because the woman was proclaiming love to the man, yet he then strangles her. She comes in from a storm to his "cottage warm"(662). He seems to be a madman. He noted as he strangled her "no pain felt she, i am quite sure she felt no pain"(663). This may have been stated because she "worshiped him" and he she had love for him so whatever he decided to do wouldn't hurt her. Browning wrote "she too weak, fro all hear heart's endeavour, to set its struggling passion free from pride," I think the narrator thought he was setting her free and this would make her happy and not feel pain from it. He seemed quite overwhelmed that she was proclaiming love and that she was there even through rough storm, because he seemed to hesitate and not know what to do, "surprise made my heart swell, and still it grew while I debated what to do"(663). It seems he felt like she was in control because at the end instead of being on her shoulder, she laid on his. It may represent a difference in social class that perhaps forbidden her to be there.
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2 comments:
Linh,
Good focus on this poem (after some preliminary comments which do not really seem at all relevant to "Porphyria's Lover"). Some good quotations to discuss, and OK speculation on their meanings.
It was interesting reading your interpretation. I never thought of it as possibly having something to do with social status. I interpreted the poem differently but yours was really good.
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