Through his characters in both the poems "Porphyria's Lover" and "My Last Duchess", Robert Browning incorporates, vivid and violent imagery that reveal his sexual and social views of women. Through a comparative analysis of each work, it is obvious that Browning relies on strong dramatic structure and the use of poetic devices to reinforce his opinions. With his expert use of language, Browning is able to draw the reader into his captivating world of neurotic eroticism. Furthermore, these writings suggest Browning's transgressive outlook on the societal roles of women. Each of these poems serve as a window into the complex mind of Robert Browning; although often described as distasteful, his powerful writing style requires a higher understanding of his intent.
Robert Browning has a distinctive way of writing poetry; he uses many poetic devices to express what may be his own feelings. In "Porphyria's Lover" and "My last Duchess" he incorporates the use of a narrator in the first person. In each poem the narrator delivers a dramatic monologue to an implied audience. By using this form, he is able to tell a story through the characters. In doing this, he is possibly trying to hide behind his characters and using them to portray what may be his thoughts on certain subjects. .
In both of these poems, Browning uses a precise rhythm to create a distinctive atmosphere. The repeated rhythmic pattern of the two is one stressed and one unstressed syllable, known as an iambic rhythm. These devices allow the reader to feel what Browning might be trying to reveal. This pattern suggests the madness within each of the characters while still maintaining a sense of natural speech. This enables the audience to relate to the characters that Browning has created.
Robert Browning's characters are what allowed him to create an intense atmosphere in both poems. Each poem uses both tone and mood to convey an attempted explanation of his societal, and sexual views of women.