"Porphyria's Lover" Irony

“Porphyria’s Lover,” a poem by Robert Browning, focuses on the irony present in the relationship between the speaker and his lover. When Porphyria enters the speaker’s home we expect there to be a typical night shared by two people who are in love. Initially this is what the speaker’s tone suggests. When describing Porphyria he states, “She shut the cold out and the storm” (7). From this line we can see that the speaker is fond of his lover. However, upon finishing the poem the irony is quite evident. Although we expect the two people to spend an enjoyable night together, we eventually learn this is far from the truth. What began as a typical night ends in death. The speaker realizes that Porphyria’s adoration for him will eventually change, and he cannot deal with this thought. He kills her in order to preserve her love, which seems ironic considering she will no longer be capable of loving him at all now that she is dead. The irony provides a dramatic twist to the development of Browning’s poem.