Irony in "Porphyria's Lover"

"Porphyria's Lover" by Robert Browning has a lot of dramatic irony laced throughout the poem. Browning exerts a sense of passion and love in the beginning of the poem and turns it all around by the end. This poem is about a man that has his lover come to him. He feels very strongly about Porphyria and wishes she would love him in return instead of just being his lover. "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." (lines 32-35) Here, this man has finally gotten what he wanted after all this time. But, the question is, does he really want her now?

When emotions are toyed with, people can easily snap and do some selfish and crazy acts of revenge. "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." (36-42) So, he did indeed snap. It seems as if he did love her but was sick of the way she treated him perhaps. He wanted to end it for good and that's exactly what he did.

There is a sense of guilt but major relief here too. "I propped her head up as before, Only, this time my shoulder bore Her head, which droops down 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!" (49-55) He feels so much better now. Maybe because Porphyria told many lies and hurt him or lost his trust somehow. Whatever it may be, there is now a weight lifted from his shoulders.

This poem is very dramatic and has many twists throughout it. "And thus we sit together now, And all night long we have not stirred, And yet God has not said a word!" (58-60) Here the irony evolves with him holding her lifeless body and relating God to the situation. This man will be judged for his actions, but right now he doesn't care. He is with his former lover Porphyria in utter silence; this is the way he wanted it.