“Porphyria’s Lover” and “My Last Duchess”

In 1842, Robert Browning published a book entitled Dramatic Lyrics, which was a famous work that contained a collection of dramatic monologues. Two of the poems found in this book were “Porphyria’s Lover” and “My Last Duchess”. In “Porphyria’s Lover”, Browning introduces a powerful insight into the demented mind of an extremely possessive man, while “My Last Duchess” tells a story about the Duke of Ferrara revealing to a guest the murder of his wife and the motives behind it. The two speakers share similar qualities, both being extremely possessive and completely unremorseful. A key difference between the two narrators is how they show their love for their mistresses. Both poems were written in the literary from known as dramatic monologue, and narrated by a male speaker. A dramatic monologue shows the reader the narrator’s inner thoughts and motives when involved in a particular situation. Using this literary technique, Browning allows the reader to explore the abnormal psychology of the two speakers and also to get closely involved with two acts of murder. Prior to the murders, both speakers are shown to be extremely possessive of their women. In “Porphyria’s Lover”, the narrator is romantically involved with his lover.
She enters the cabin and is in a very vulnerable state, and the narrator wishes to completely capture this single moment in time. The two appear to be in love, but the woman feels reluctant to be with him because it would be opposing to societies standards. The narrator says, Murmuring how she loved me-she Too weak, for all her heart’s endeavor, To set its struggling passion free From pride, and vainer ties dissever, And give herself to me forever. (21-25).
The narrator uses the word “forever” to show his extreme passion for her to be in his possession as long as he lives. While lying in his arms, he also makes this point clear when he says, “That moment, she was mine, mine, fair “(36). The narrator