This poem shows Browning's great interest in abnormal psychology. The lover's act of killing Porphyria in order to prolong the moment of impassioned love is sudden,dramatic and macabre. we have an ironic portrayal of complex personality that is both repulsive and novel.
Porphyria's lover listened to the noise of the storm outside and was in a very sad mood . At that very moment, his beloved stepped into his cottage. He felt very much surprised ; it must have required great courage on her part to have come out on such a stormy night. Porphyria closed the door. Then she knelt down to light the dying fire. soon the cottage was warm. Then she got up and took off her dripping cloak,shawl and hat, and her dirty gloves and laid them down . After that she stepped forward and sat by the side of her lover and lovingly addressed him . Her golden, long hair fell on her shoulders. Having failed to get any reply from him , she made her smooth white shoulder bare and placed his cheek on it , while her golden hair spread all over her shoulders. In low sweet voice she told him that she loved him dearly . But she had failed to challenge the authority of her guardians and hence she was helpless in giving herself to him for ever . But she added that on occasions the passion of love in her grew so violent that nothing could stop her from coming to him.
Porphyria's lover saw straight into her eyes and knew at once that she fully worshiped him. He was proud of her love for him. Her beauty and grace charmed him. In order to make her his own for ever he decided to release her from all barriers by strangulating her .Thus, taking her long hair, he made them into a string, wound them three times around her little bit throat and strangled her. Then he opened her lids and found her blue eyes laughing. Then he untightened the tresses from about her neck and her cheeks once more blushed bright beneath his burning kiss. He lifted up her head, but she was dead and hence it could not lift itself up. It dropped on his shoulder. It was a smiling, rosy little head and he was glad that her wish to die in his lap and be his for ever was fulfilled. The dead and the living sat together the whole night without moving for a moment. And God did not express His disapprovel of the lover's act.
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