Porphyria

The Pocket University entry for September 19th is another poem by Robert Browning, one I am sure the gothic inclined among us would enjoy. It is "Porphyria's Lover".

This poem was published in 1836 in the "Monthly Repository" magazine.  This is a dark poem, with themes of sexuality and violence, dominance and illicit love.  Opening with a description of a stormy night, the mood is established.  Porphyria enters, and the narrator describes her pride and vanity which prevents her from giving herself to him completely.  Perhaps she does not share his interest in illicit love?  In any case, she is at least emotionally distant and unavailable to the narrator.

So, he takes things into his own hands. Specifically her hair, which he uses to strangle her.  An odd association occurred for me, as I have recently read "The Ninja" by Eric Van Lustbader.  One of the female characters in that book is also strangled with her hair in a very suggestive scene with elements of domination and violence.  It so happens that the Van Lustbader scene is written from the victim's perspectve.  Porphyria's Lover is written from the assailant's perspective.

I found the poem very interesting, especially for the timeframe in which it was written.

Comments are welcome, though moderated.