This poem reads like a speech, because of the recurrence of words, and the way he builds up a list, and the message the writer is trying to convey. Words like ""sorrows" "shame" "killed" and "agony" give the poem a serious heavy tone.
Although one would expect a free verse poem to be more chaotic, the contents of Browning's poem are much more hectic. For this reason it occurred to me that it would make more sense to write Browning's poem in free verse and Whitman's in traditional structure, yet in some way both writers use their structure so that the ideas become the formation and give a natural appearance to the poem. .
Both Browning and Whitman use words that contribute to the mood of their poems. Also both poets use perspective in a unique way as both poems can be read as a monologue. Each poem in itself conveys rich meaning and eloquent style. The images derived from each are vivid and fervent.
Porphyria's Lover is a disturbing view on love. The first part of the poem (lines 1-5) set the scene for the twisted tale to follow, and the reader feels dissociated from the plot. Then Porphyria is introduced. Throughout the poem, Porphyria is placed upon a pedestal, she is portrayed as angelic, girlish, and affectionate, and yet it is she who initially is doing something wrong. Keeping in mind that the poem was written in the days where sexuality was greatly shrouded, Porphyria's actions throughout the poem are extremely sexual and intimate. "withdrew the dripping cloak and shawl" "untied her hat and let the damp hair fall" and "made her smooth white shoulder bare" all illustrate the intensity of her sexuality. Also the speaker hints that Porphyria had been with another man before she had "glided in", another sin the "perfectly pure and good" girl committed, giving sex the illusion of being something natural, acceptable and decent, the opposite of the reality in Victorian times. .
Throughout the poem, the speaker is composed, and poised, even during the murder of his lover.
