Poetic Devices
Enjambment
Enjambment, the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line to the next without a pause, is employed throughout the poem to create a sense of urgency and to mirror the speaker's erratic thoughts. The enjambment in the poem propels the reader forward, mirroring the speaker's escalating emotions and mental instability. For instance, in the lines "That moment she was mine, mine, fair, / Perfectly pure and good," the enjambment emphasizes the speaker's fixation on Porphyria and the intensifying possessiveness of his thoughts.
Assonance
Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds within words. The poem skillfully employs assonance to create an evocative atmosphere, emphasize the speaker's emotions, and add a musical quality to the verses. For instance, in the lines "And made her smooth white shoulder bare, / And all her yellow hair displaced," the repetition of the long "a" sound in "bare" and "hair" creates a sense of intimacy and tenderness, underscoring the speaker's fixation on Porphyria's physical attributes. Additionally, in the lines "Blushed bright beneath my burning kiss; / I propped her head up as before," the repetition of the long "i" sound in "kiss" and "before" conveys the speaker's mindset and his desire to preserve the moment.
End-stopped line
End-stopped lines are used to complete a thought or idea within a single line, often followed by a punctuation mark, which allows for a pause and reflection. In the poem, this technique is employed to highlight the speaker's obsessive and possessive nature. For example, in the lines "And strangled her. No pain felt she; / I am quite sure she felt no pain," the end-stopped line after "strangled her" emphasizes the finality of the action and the speaker's conviction. This technique allows the reader to dwell on the speaker's disturbing actions and heighten the poem's impact.
Chiasmus
Chiasmus, a rhetorical device in which the order of terms in the first of two parallel clauses is reversed in the second, is strategically used to underscore the speaker's internal conflict and the power dynamics within the poem. For example, in the lines "And all her hair / In one long yellow string I wound / Three times her little throat around, and strangled her," the reversal of terms in "In one long yellow string I wound / Three times her little throat around" highlights the juxtaposition of tenderness and violence in the speaker's actions. This use of chiasmus helps underline the unsettling nature of the poem.
Metaphor
Metaphor is used to convey the narrator's complex emotions and perceptions, particularly in describing Porphyria herself. The line "As a shut bud that holds a bee, I warily oped her lids" employs metaphor to depict Porphyria's appearance and the narrator's cautious anticipation of her actions. Here, Porphyria is compared to a "shut bud," suggesting her potential for growth and blossoming beauty, while the narrator's cautiousness in "warily opening her lids" implies his apprehension and desire to explore and understand Porphyria's innermost thoughts and feelings. Thus, through the use of metaphor, Browning enriches the imagery of the poem.
