An Unreliable Narrator In Porphyria’s Lover By Robert Browning

Robert Browning’s dramatic monologue titled Porphyria’s lover, shows the frustrations of a love-stricken speaker. His passionate, annihilating response towards society’s sexism. Browning cleverly juxtaposes Porphyria’s innocence and her sexual transgressions. He successfully demonstrates society’s contradictions regarding morality and its rejection of pleasure. Warm comfort and affection can reveal the emotional perversions of confining social systems in a home setting that is ironically serene. The violent display and expression of passion of the speaker does not end with condemnation. It ends with the objective sense that he fulfilled his duty. Porphyria is seated beside his murdered love. There is no regret or consequence. The narrator’s view, which has been greatly distorted because of the forced internalization and internalization of his feelings, can’t deny him the peace that comes with a moment unaffected by judgment.

Browning’s portrayal as an unreliable Narrator is necessary. However, in Victorian simplicity, Browning makes it seem that the speaker’s insaneness is justifiable and can be accounted for. Browning utilizes Browning’s poetic flow to increase the impact of the unorthodox twist of events. The great passion of the speaker is mirrored by God’s wrath and nature. Finally, it reflects the power of the “sullen breeze” (Line 2). Browning’s poem should not be considered a character analysis. His events show the speaker’s insanity as well as the primary source behind his distorted emotions. Browning’s poem cannot be viewed as a mere character analysis of Browning. Browning’s events frame not only Browning’s insanity, but also the main source of his distorted emotions. Browning introduces nature’s unpredictable nature at the beginning of his poem. This foreshadows Browning’s equally cruel gesture. The speaker discusses his apparent inability to weather the forces of the outside world. “When glided with Porphyria,” 60, is a clear indication that the speaker has experienced his weak heart many times before, due to social restrictions on his relationship and the limitations placed upon Porphyria. Because the speaker is so far away from the world, he cannot respond to Porphyria’s invitation to enter his home. He simply wants her love without any explanation. His obsession with Porphyria’s comforting warmth in the storm soon becomes so intense that it drives him insane.

Paradoxically though, Porphyria seems to think that the warmth she feels for her lover is so fleeting that it causes him to pursue his main passion. Porphyria attempts to comfort her infirm lover by forcing him to embrace Porphyria (17). Browning suddenly transforms Brownings scene of cold weather and warm companionship into an image of sexual expressions amid the cottage’s roaring fire. From a traditional home, which provides shelter from a storm, to a passionate, unstoppable pace, the initial presentation quickly changes. The reader will not be able to determine whether Porphyria is truly in love with the speaker. But, it is clear that Browning views murderous action as the only means to preserve the moment while removing social barriers.

Evidently, her death was caused by the speaker’s insatiable desire for dominance over other forces within Porphyria. He is overcome by his new, brief devotion to Porphyria and finds himself at the gate of his dream. But he has no idea of its trajectory. The speaker’s unrequited passion and rationality still remain separate after the momentous discovery of Porphyria’s love. It is not long before he finds “A thing he can do” (38). If he does not do it once, his being placed above social laws is so powerful that he has to stop trying to understand anything other than his own self-centered desires.

Ironically, the complacency displayed by Browning’s speaker when he committed his crime reflects society’s complacency towards the sensual, aesthetic and sexual pleasures of life. The speaker shows no regret, other than the weariness that he took the only possible path. Browning presents the reader with an unreliable narration, which only amplifies the psychological effects caused by his unrequited passion and leaves little to the reader’s supposed convictions. Porphyria is able to find her way to the speaker despite the oppressive outside weather. However, the speaker ends her life after realizing that not only are there restrictions to their relationship but also Porphyria’s inability to love him fully, but for the moment. He pronounces, somewhat vehemently, “Porphyria’s Love: She guessed not How / Her Darling One Wish would Be Heard” (56-57) Browning doesn’t present the guilt of murder through the eyes and feelings of the narrator. He does point out that social constraints are the cause of the speaker’s insanity but does not dismiss the moral responsibility of his narration.

The narrator sees the selfishness in his decision to end Porphyria’s life. He freezes the moment and frees them both from social structures to make the act appear divinely foreseen by God. Porphyria’s corpse is not recalled by the narrator. He relates the sudden death of Porphyria and the warmth of sitting beside his love. But he also relates the radiant, untouchable serenity enacted in passion: “Her cheek once” (49). Porphyria dies, and the speaker sees that Porphyria is still in love with him. Browning portrays the perspective of a speaker who is well-informed in the divine workings and yet whose long-held yearnings are unjustly socialized make the situation more intense. Browning’s dramatic monologue depicts God’s shift in judgment from the murderer to those who first hindered Browning’s rational thought.

Browning’s description of the nameless speaker in “Porphyria’s Lover,” is a surprising and conclusive response toward Victorian society’s senseless numbness. Browning creates the scene so that the lover can understand and even justify his emotional internalization. This unreliable narrator’s thoughts, actions and thoughts serve as a powerful illustration of the effects of society’s stifling confines. The poetic description of burning emotion in a domestic setting shows the all-consuming power and will of human sensibility, even as it tries to overcome social structures.