Starter quiz
- Robert Browning wrote the entirety of his work in the 1800s. As such he is ...
- a 21st century writer.
- a 20th century writer.
- an 18th century writer.
- a 19th century writer. ✓
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- Robert Browning was particularly well known for writing narrative poems from a particular character's perspective. What would we call these poems?
- Sonnets
- Dramatic monologues ✓
- Ballads
- Soliloquys
-
- Robert Browning was writing through most of the Victorian era, a time known for its ...
- sexual restraint and emotional control. ✓
- sexual liberality and emotional openness.
- sexual conformity and emotional intelligence.
-
- If you 'marvel' at someone or something then you are filled with ...
- wonder and astonishment. ✓
- love and affection.
- fear and disgust.
- boredom and apathy.
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- Which of the below are reasonable synonyms of the word 'instigate'?
- initiate ✓
- incite ✓
- contribute
-
- Browning wrote 'Porphyrias's Lover' at a time when Victorian readers would have considered Porphyria's overtly sexual and suggestive manner as ...
- transgressive. ✓
- commonplace.
- typical.
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Exit quiz
- Who wrote the poem 'Porphyria's Lover'?
- 'Robert Browning' ✓
- The poem 'Porphyria's Lover' opens as a violent ______ is taking place.
- storm ✓
- argument
- fight
- murder
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- Starting with the first, put these events from 'Porphyria's Lover' in chronological order.
- 1⇔The speaker describes a destructive storm.
- 2⇔Porphyria enters the cottage.
- 3⇔She removes her damp clothing and unfurls her hair.
- 4⇔Porphyria tells the narrator of her love for him.
- 5⇔The narrator is unsure what to do but eventually decides to murder her.
- 6⇔The narrator kills Porphyria by strangling her with her own hair.
- 7⇔He spends all night with her body declaring that God will not condemn him.
- Which of the below are major themes in the poem 'Porphyria's Lover'?
- madness ✓
- power and control ✓
- love and obsession ✓
- identity
- loneliness
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- Complete this quotation from the poem 'Porphyria's Lover': "And laid her ______ gloves by".
- 'soiled' ✓
- Complete this quotation from 'Porphyria's Lover': "A sudden thought of one so ______ for love of her".
- 'pale' ✓
Worksheet
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- The poem starts with the speaker feeling unsettled but is soon warmed physically and emotionally by Porphyria's arrival.
- Porphyria begins to undress and instigates intimacy with the speaker.
- The speaker seems to want ownership of Porphyria and is jealous she has a life outside of his.
- The speaker strangles Porphyria with her own hair and marvels how he can then keep Porphyria like a doll.
- Browning was writing at a time when Porphyria's sexual and suggestive manner would have been transgressive.
Common misconception
The speaker kills Porphyria out of love, and his actions can be seen as a romantic gesture.
The speaker's actions aren't a romantic gesture but a sign of his disturbed mind. His love is possessive and obsessive, shown by his desire to control Porphyria. The calm tone he uses to describe the murder show his detachment from reality.
Keywords
Unsettled - to be in a state of uncertainty or unease
Instigate - to initiate or provoke an action or event
Transgressive - involving actions that go beyond accepted boundaries or norms
Marvel - to be filled with wonder or astonishment; to admire greatly
Misogyny - hatred, prejudice or discrimination against women
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