A poem in which the poet creates a picture Essay

Task-Choose a poem in which the poet creates a picture of a heroic or corrupt figure. Discuss the means by which the personality is clearly depicted. A poem in which the poet creates a picture of a corrupt figure is Porphyria’s Lover by Robert Browning. The poem written in 1837 is in the form of a dramatic monologue which helps to show the true nature of the corrupt sociopath. Throughout the poem Browning uses a series of literacy devices to help convey this idea. The form of the poem, dramatic monologue, is significant as the reader only ever experiences the speaker’s feelings and recollections of events. This forces the reader to doubt the narrator at various points throughout the poem. This form also leaves the reader believing that the situation is less straightforward than that being described. It is clear from the outset of the poem that the speaker in the poem is troubled. Through Browning’s use of pathetic fallacy in the first four lines of the poem he does not only illustrate the extreme weather conditions but also the speaker’s mind set: â€Å"It tore the elm-tops down for spite† This effectively highlights the speakers’s bitterness due to Porphyria’s failure to appear for their arranged meeting. Browning deliberately compares the speaker’s emotional condition to the weather as these are all negative emotions. The words sullen, spite and vex are the first early clues that the reader sees about the speaker’s true nature; being that of violence and aggression. The fact that the narrator is so distraught at the idea of not seeing Porphyria is the first slight indication towards his obsession with her. Also, the fact that the speaker is waiting for Porphyria immediately suggests that she in is control of their relationship; something that would have been extremely unusual and possibly slightly shocking to the Victorian audiences that the poem was written for. This idea is also suggested by the title of the poem. The title Porphyria’s Lover suggests that the speaker is dissatisfied; he wants to be more than just her Lover and feel less emasculated by her strong character. Browning also drops a hint of the speaker’s corrupt nature through the rhythm and rhyme scheme in the poem. The rhythm of the poem is iambic tetrameter which in this poem serves to create a regular pattern. The point in using this rhythm is to make the speaker seem rational, calm and normal while effectively disguising his true nature. However the Rhyme in the poem follows the scheme of ABABB. Unlike the regular, naturalistic rhythm of the poem the rhyme scheme is asymmetrical and adds intensity to the speaker’s words. This is possibly a hint to the speaker’s unstable nature and the madness within his head. The speaker’s obsession with Porphyria is developed when she eventually enters the cottage. He describes her as having â€Å"glided† in which shows she moved elegantly and gracefully. This word choice captures the speaker’s passion for Porphyria. The reader learns from the poem that she is from a higher social class than the narrator, which in turn makes the reader suspect that their relationship is a forbidden affair. However, this is left ambiguous and for the reader to decide. â€Å"straight/She shut the cold out and the storm† The poet’s use of enjambment here emphasises the power of Porphyria’s arrival and this also helps to continue the idea that she holds the dominant role in their relationship. The poet uses transferred epithet to stress the immediacy of the change in atmosphere after Porphyria’s arrival. Her practical actions represent the change in the speaker’s mind set. This example of transferred epithet effectively represents the immediate effect that Porphyria’s entrance had on the speaker. At the beginning of the story his heart was cold and his mind was stormy whereas following her entrance he feels content and calmed by her presence as she has metaphorically shut the storm out of his mind. Another aspect of the poem which would have been somewhat shocking to a Victorian audience is the unusually sexual manner in which Porphyria next behaves. She removes her outdoor clothing, lets her hair hang lose, puts her arm around the narrator, positions his head on her bare shoulder then proceeds to declare her love for him. However the narrator’s reaction to this takes the reader by surprise. A dash is used to introduce a change in tone as the speaker begins to describe Porphyria in a negative light: â€Å"Too weak, for all her heart’s endeavour† Here, Browning writes in an almost contemptuous tone. The narrator is disapproving as he believes that- although Porphyria wants nothing more than to be with him- she is unable to leave behind other ties in her life which are preventing her from being with the speaker forever. The narrator’s resentment towards these complications out-with his control is portrayed as resentment towards Porphyria and this sudden change in mood offers the first slight indication that the narrator is not mentally stable. At this point in the poem the reader does not know whether to trust all that the speaker is saying. We are shocked by the speaker’s lack of interest and lack of love towards Porphyria. However, the speaker then experiences the sudden realisation later in the poem that Porphyria worshiped him. This is a very strong emotional word which goes past simple passion and suggests he believes that he is the only thing Porphyria really cares about. It also shows that the speaker thinks of himself as almost god-like in her eyes. He is vain and narcissistic. Any sane person would be content with the declaration of love however not the speaker. The reader being sane finds his next actions even more shocking. He is not sane, he is troubled and his corrupt nature is beginning to show. The poem reaches the shocking and disturbing turning point when becomes clear that the speaker is going to strangle Porphyria: â€Å"I found A thing to do†.