Unrequited Love In Porphyrias Lover :: Porphyrias Lover Essays

Unrequited Love in "Porphyrias Lover" In Robert Brownings hammy monologue "Porphyrias Lover," he introduces the persona, a twisted and abnormally possessive lover whose dealings are influenced by the perceived deliberation of others actions. As the monologue begins, a terrible, almost intentional storm sets upon the persona, who awaits his love, Porphyria. His lover "glides in" (l 6) from a "gay feast" (l 27) and attempts to calm her angry love. This leads to a disastrous end, each for spite or fulfillment of a figurative wish that "would now be heard" (l 57). Browning suggests wiz must be cautious of what one wishes for, especially in dealings with love, where one focuses on the heart earlier than material consequences.     Romantic poems, plays and stories from the Victorian period in England dealt primarily with disallow love. A class system set strongly in Brownings "Porphyrias Lover," or an aged bitterne ss between two families in Shakespeares "Romeo and Juliet," both prevented lovers from life story "happily ever after." In literature it can be argued that at that place are two ways to come together with a lover. The depression is death, as seen in Shakespeares dramatic plays and poetry, and the second is sexual. "Porphyrias Lover" is a verbalism of both.     2Shakespeares story of "star-crossd lovers" begins with a prologue summarizing what events lead to the death "From forth the bleak loins of these two foes" (Hylton). Here the "ancient grudge that breaks to new mutiny, / Where well-mannered blood makes civil hands unclean" leads to the foes "childrens end" (Hylton). In "Porphyrias Lover," the check of natures tremendous storm, and the personas own thoughts elude to his plans "The rain set early in tonight, / The sullen wind was soon awake" (l 1-2), his thoughts began to mold into a scheme, darn his rage corresponds with the storm as "It tore the elm-tops down for spite, / And it did its worst to get at the lake"(l 3-4). The aforementioned sentence foreshadows the events to come.     Porphyria enters from the storm into her lovers home, "When glided in Porphyria straight / She shut the shabby out and the storm, / And kneeled and made the cheerless grate / Blaze up, and all the cottage warm" (l 6-9), permitting the persona to feel safe in within himself and his surroundings. She sit by his side "And called him. When no voice replied, / She put his arm about her waist, / And made her smooth white shoulder bare, / And all her yellow cop displaced" (l 15-18).