Robert Browning “Prophyria’s Lover”
The angle of this poem is quite weird, first he speaks of her touch and smooth shoulders, and how she put his arms around her waist as she speaks of her love for him. It was as if she was the best thing that he had ever seen and then he choked her with her own hair, that is kind of sick. Maybe it was some type of seductive pleasure for him or something towards that nature.
“Be sure I looked up at her eyes
Happy and proud; at last I knew
Prophyria worshipped me; surprise
Made my heart swell, and still it grew
While I debated what to do.
That moment she was mine, mine, fair,
Perfectly pure and good: I found
A thing to do, and all her hair
In one long yellow string I wound
Three times her little throat around
And strangled her. No pain felt she;
I am quite sure she felt no pain” (p663 lines 31-42)
But not only does he strangle her, he sits there with her lifeless head on his shoulders as if she were taking a nap, and speaks of her “smiling rosy little head” (p 663. line 52). Wow this is the mentality of a serial killer he acts as if he didn’t do anything wrong and is waiting for a reward of some sort.
“And thus we sit together now,
And all night long we have not stirred,
And yet God has not said a word” (p. 663 lines 58-60)
Was he waiting for her to wake up? Dude you just choked her to death of course she isn’t going to stir. hat type of sign did he want from God, was he waiting for a thumbs up?
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Simone 2:33 pm on July 17, 2010 Permalink |
You are right Kennisha this is a very confusing poem. I was not sure whether or not he was a sick man or just driven to insanity through jealousy. His actions do represent those of a serial killer and the way that he remains calm and waits for her to stir , gives readers the impression that he does not believe that he has done anything wrong.