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Elements of Literature

Destinations – part 1

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Extension activities

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Learning objectives

Explore destinations in a text, focusing on “Porphyria’s Lover” by Robert Browning

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“Porphyria’s Lover”

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This presentation will work through the poem “Porphyria’s Lover”, selecting key aspects of the narrative and

illustrating how to infer destination from them.

What is destination?

Destination is a way of describing the meaning of a text.

The construction of the narrative is at the heart of destination. We need to consider how the narrative has been created, and why it has been represented in this way.

Consider these questions:

What was the writer’s purpose in writing this text?What are the key messages in the text?How have you been influenced by the text?

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Destination: “Porphyria’s Lover”

What destination can we infer from time and sequence in “Porphyria’s Lover”?

In “Porphyria’s Lover” the use of dramatic monologue is key to the destination. The lover recounts the events of the evening in chronological order.

The time frame is one evening, which gives the reader a sense of only hearing a fragment of this love story.

The shortness of this time frame is ironic, as the lover murders her so that he can capture the moment forever.

The sense of immediacy through the telling of the story in such a brief moment adds to the reader’s shock at the graphic description of her murder.

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What destination can we infer from the voice and point of view in “Porphyria’s Lover”?

Destination: “Porphyria’s Lover”

Dramatic monologue is also central to our understanding of voice in “Porphyria’s Lover”. The passionate and violent feelings of the single voice of the narrator dominate the telling of the story. Porphyria has no voice of her own.

This contrasts with the point of view of the poem. The narrator has no name, he is only referred to as ‘Porphyria’s Lover’ which suggests he has less power than Porphyria and that he belongs to her.

The poem nevertheless explores a male point of view. By killing Porphyria, the speaker keeps her forever in his power. He is no longer ‘Porphyria’s lover’: he has taken away her life, and therefore her power to possess him.