Summary:
“Porphyria’s Lover” is a dramatic monologue written by Robert Browning. In this poem, the speaker, a lover, recounts an evening spent with his lover, Porphyria, who arrives at his cottage during a storm. As she makes the fire burn brighter and shows affection towards him, the lover, overwhelmed by a sense of control and power, strangles her with her own hair to “preserve” the perfect moment of love. The poem explores themes of obsession, control, and madness, with the speaker justifying his crime by the belief that Porphyria would have wanted him to kill her to keep her love forever.
| Question | Answer |
| Poem Name | Porphyria’s Lover |
| Poet | Robert Browning |
| Year Written | 1836 |
| Year Published | 1836 |
| Poem Type | Dramatic Monologue |
| Verse Form | Blank Verse |
| Setting | A cottage during a storm |
| Main Character | The Lover (unnamed), Porphyria |
| Themes | Obsession, control, power, love, madness |
| Tone | Dark, sinister, obsessive |
| Famous Quote | “The rain set early in tonight, The sullen wind was soon awake.” |
| Main Conflict | The speaker’s desire to preserve a perfect moment of love by killing Porphyria |
| Structure | 2 stanzas of 12 lines each |
| Legacy | A striking example of Browning’s use of the dramatic monologue form |