by Raychel Haugrud Reiff
This article was originally published in Statement (Fall 1997), the journal of the Colorado Language Arts Society.
One of the most difficult challenges I face as an English teacher is the task of making poems memorable and exciting for students. As many teachers have discovered, students have a great fear of studying poetry, feeling that they just "can't get it!" Bearing this in mind, I have developed various techniques for teaching the different forms of poetry. Perhaps the most effective method I have used when teaching dramatic monologues is that of having students act out the monologue by treating it as a play.
One Robert Browning poem that works successfully with this method of presentation is "Porphyria's Lover."
Porphyria's Lover
The rain set early in tonight
The sullen wind was soon awake,
It tore the elm-tops down for spite,
And did its worst to vex the lake:
I listened with heart fit to break.
When glided in Porphyria; straight
She shut the cold out and the storm,
And kneeled and made the cheerless grate
Blaze up, and all the cottage warm;
Which done, she rose, and from her form
Withdrew the dripping cloak and shawl,
And laid her soiled gloves by, untied
Her hat and let the damp hair fall,
And, last, she sat down by my side
And called me. When no voice replied,
She put my arm about her waist,
And made her smooth white shoulder bare,
And all her yellow hair displaced,
And, stooping, made my cheek lie there,
And spread, o'er all, her yellow hair,
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.
But passion sometimes would prevail,
Nor could tonight's gay feast restrain
A sudden thought of one so pale
For love of her, and all in vain:
So, she was come through wind and rain.
Be sure I looked up at her eyes
Happy and proud; at last I knew
Porphyria 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.
As a shut bud that holds a bee,
I warily oped her lids: again
Laughed the blue eyes without a stain.
And I untightened next the tress
About her neck; her cheek once more
Blushed bright beneath my burning kiss:
I propped her head up as before,
Only, this time my shoulder bore
Her head, which droops upon it still:
The smiling rosy little head,
So glad it has its utmost will,
That all it scorned at once is fled,
And I, its love, am gained instead!
Porphyria's love: she guessed not how
Her darling one wish would be heard.
And thus we sit together now,
And all night long we have not stirred,
And yet God has not said a word!
Watching a Performance of the Poem
I begin teaching this poem by asking for two student volunteers to play the roles of Porphyria and her lover. In the front of the room, I place two chairs side-by-side and have "Lover" sit down in one while "Porphyria" stands by the door. I tell the volunteers to pantomime everything I say, and with these basic instructions, I read the poem, pausing until the students complete each action. The rest of the class watches the miniplay.
Understanding the Content of the Poem
After the performance, we discuss the content of the poem. First, I ask the students to describe the setting and the circumstances. They can now easily see that this poem takes place in a cold, dark cottage during a violent storm. They know also that Porphyria comes to see her lover and tries to make his room more comfortable. It takes a little more analysis to understand why the two cannot marry; we need to take a few minutes to analyze Porphyria's refusal to "dissever" herself from "vainer ties" when she passionately loves the speaker.
After examining the setting and circumstances of the poem, I ask the class to state who is addressing whom and why. That the speaker is the murderer is clear, but students need to think a little more deeply before realizing that he is speaking to no one except himself as he justifies his actions.
I then ask them to describe the physical situation. Since they've experienced the performance, everyone vividly sees the two lovers together.
Going Deeper
Now that the members of the class understand the content of the poem, I ask them to analyze the speaker and consider what he reveals about himself. Immediately, most students respond that the speaker is crazy. I question them about the severity of his depression, asking them to pick out details from the poem which illustrate his mental state. We discuss his lack of concern for his physical comfort, his inability to speak to Porphyria, and his illogical assumption that his act of murder is okay.
However, I don't want discussion to stop here. I next ask them what Porphyria is like. To consider this question, I lead the class in discussion, asking about Porphyria's possible motivations for refusing to marry her lover, yet coming to house on a stormy night to state and demonstrate her love for him. As we discuss, I have the performers act out the various scenarios. "Lover" sits on the chair, and "Porphyria" follows the actions described in the poem, changing her facial expressions, body motions, and tone of voice for each personality.
We discuss a variety of questions. Is Porphyria merely a hapless victim of her crazy lover? If she is, she should sit demurely by her lover's side, innocent and sweet. Or is she a victim of societal pressures, marrying the respected gentleman, unable to follow her heart? Here she is a poor girl split between her head and her heart. She shows passionate love for "Lover," almost desperate, knowing that she cannot marry him. Or is she a tease, the type of girl who "wants to have her cake and eat it too"? In other words, does she want to live the privileged life of high society, married to a proper, rich man while carrying on an exciting love affair with the poor speaker of the poem? If so, she could be seen as either brazen or coquettish. Questions like these open the students' minds to see this poem in a new light, often perceiving that the lover might be a victim of Porphyria.
Finally, I ask the students if, in today's world, they see any people like these two lovers. Heads nod up and down, and students eagerly share stories or examples of people who are caught in the same situation as Porphyria or her lover.
As can be clearly seen from this analysis of "Porphyria's Lover," watching a performance of a dramatic monologue can be very beneficial for students. I have yet to hear a student say, "I just can't get it," after seeing the poem acted out. Besides understanding the surface of the poem, students are able to empathize with the characters, seeing them as three-dimensional people with personality and substance rather than one-dimensional objects. This leads to a deeper understanding of the poem and the ability to relate it to present-day society and life. The poem has become a part of the students' world.
Raychel Haugrud Reiff is Assistant Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Superior where she teaches British Literature, Shakespeare, Chaucer, History of the English Language, Reading and Writing for Teachers, and Freshman Composition.
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