Porphyria's Lover Tone

The poem uses a first person point of view to the report the thoughts of a character awaiting the arrival of a winter storm, which has been signaled by the building of clouds, the “pressing tide” and the “turning wind” (11. 1-3). While she prepares for the storms arrival. The character reflects in “winter at sea and winter in the soul” (1. 16), suggesting that something in her past has forced this life of isolation. The choice to face the storm alone has been forced upon her. As readers, we are drawn into this situation by sympathizing with the characters thoughts and actions: and so the poem leads us to ask questions about our own

When Bray describes the “rain lashed against the window shutters” sound imagery and sight imagery are provoked. The reader can visualize the rain pounding on the windows and also hear the sound of the rain against the windows. Which not only, commits to the mood of suspense by the violent sounds and image, but also the anxiousness for the welfare of the character. The wind is such a compelling force “not even the most sheltered flame, [is] proof against the howling winds.” The visual imagery of this quote reveals how powerful the winds are.

Robert Browning uses descriptive details to portray a theme of how darkness rises from warmth and happiness by showing us on how a man’s love for someone makes him turn to savagery. The narrator of the poem has very deep feelings for his lover, but he only thinks of himself and he never wants the girl to leave his side so he does the unthinkable. In the times that the girl was not home or was not with the narrator then there was coldness and darkness, but when she was with the man then the house would “blaze up, and all the cottage warm”. She created hope and the narrator needed that constantly, so he realized that his love was too strong to put on hold everyday when she would leave. The fact that the narrator had to watch his lover leave everyday

The author uses imagery in the poem to enable the reader to see what the speaker sees. For example, in lines 4-11 the speaker describes to us the

The poem begins with a compelling description of nature’s wrath, Phillis personifies the storm as Aeolus, the Greek king of winds. The speaker commands Aeolus to “be still” and cites him as a “tyrant” as he coerced the wind, which is similar to how the white men had enslaved Phillis. As Susanna crosses the ocean, like the slave ships did, personifications of the

Stanza two and three depicts two types of storms, one externally and one internally, that are bound to happen. As the storm persists, the speaker observes that “weather abroad / And weather in the heart alike come on / Regardless of prediction.” The speaker associates the storm currently happening as a parallel to the troubles he has metaphorically. The “weather abroad” speaks of the disorder present outside of his sentiments. Even though predictions or storm warnings can aid people in toughing through the occurrence, such as stocking up on food and basic disaster supplies, the storm is imminent either way; the weather cannot be manipulated and it will continue to bring forth destruction. Meanwhile, in regards to the emotional state of the speaker, it is of the heart. An individual can attempt to brace themselves in the face of trying times that will weather away the heart, however, they can’t hinder the turmoil set to come. The speaker “can only close the shutters” to the storm raging outside or within. However, by closing the only way he can view the turbulent storm, either from the house or within oneself, he is closing his eyes to the destruction, choosing to be blind to it. Nevertheless, the storm will go forth and wreak havoc that will remain for an extended period of time, engendering suffering. Instruments may well predict the storm, but it is unavoidable and the outcome depends on what one does with the

The girl emerges from that storm into his safe-haven almost as an invitation into the unknown. Conversely, this unknown is not peculiarly ridden with fear. Ferlinghetti uses to “rainy” to describe the girl’s hair, which, undoubtedly, is without the mar of soaked or wet like a dog. Connotation, namely, is important to a poem of this length and it’s quite beautiful to describe something in this way, indicating that he uses it as an artistic convention to convey this.

“They did not heed the crashing torrents, and the roar of the elements made her laugh as she lay in his arms” (page. 396) The storm reaches its climax, as do Calixta and Alcee, and in his arms she is no longer scared, she now laughs at the roaring storm. “The growl of the thunder was distant and passing away. The rain beat softly upon the shingles…” (p. 396). The storm is passing, the threat is over

In this poem, Emerson describes the beauty left behind by a frightening winter storm. Emerson expresses the storm as it approaches and stops and the people effected by it. The people are not able to do as they please because of the storm, but it bothers Emerson very little. For instance, instead of describing the people as being trapped in their homes, Emerson states that they are “enclosed in a tumultuous privacy of storm.” Emerson modifies phrases several times to focus on the wind and snow as the subject of the poem. When Emerson says "astonished Art," he refers to the snow as a painter’s canvas or a piece of clay. Emerson uses all of these words to show that the storm is like a craftsman. He uses personification for the snow and wind by

The speaker furthermore conveys the idea that nature is a grandeur that should be recognized by including the element of imagery. The poet utilizes imagery as a technique to appeal to reader’s sense of sight . It is “the darkest evening of the year” (line 8) and a traveller and his horse stop “between the woods and frozen lake” (line 7). By writing with details such as these, readers are capable of effortlessly envisioning the peaceful scenery that lies before the speaker. The persona then draws on reader’s sense of sound. “The only other sound’s the sweep / Of easy wind and downy flake.” The illustration allows readers to not only see,

Porphyria's Lover also demonstrates several of Robert Browning's defining characteristics as a poet. It contains his criticism towards the beliefs and practices of self-restraint and his traditional use of dramatic monologue to expose a single character's personality, which in turn often provides an additional depth to his works in coordination with his use of unpoetic language. Also taking into account the author's own personal experiences with his wife, the poem can also be perceived as a representation of the development of their relationship. Browning's criticism of the idea of self-restraint is evident throughout the poem "Porphyria's Lover" as it was shown in the internal debates both characters underwent as they decided whether or not they should consummate the love between them.

The ideas of the seasons progressing highlights the idea of time moving on; something which, as discussed later, is an important theme in this poem. The fluctuation between the negative and positive natural imagery in this first quatrain (negative natural imagery, then positive, then back to negative) is further accentuated by the sounds within these lines. There are a wide range of harsh sounds, for example: ‘orage’, ‘ravage’ and ‘tonnerre’ and also a wide range of softer sounds, such as: ‘pluie’ and ‘soleils’ (this contrast appears throughout the poem). The fluctuating pattern of the negative and positive imagery is also represented by the ABAB rhyme scheme of the first quatrain (the form of a sonnet allows for this rhyme scheme to occur) as well as by the use of strong punctuation: the semicolon and the full stop. Despite the obvious links between lines 1 and 3, in contrast with the first line, line 3 uses the passé composé which indicates that the thunder and rain of childhood (metaphors for spleen) are not completed events which have been left in the past. They are still having an effect on his present. This is supported by Baudelaire’s use of the present tense in the final line of this quatrain. The enjambment between the 3rd and 4th lines also gives the

“Storm Warnings,” true to its literal subject matter, possesses flowy sweeping syntax created by the strategic use of commas and phrasing to draw parallels between the physical oncoming winds and the gales of life. The author crafts a long run-on sentence that spans the first stanza and carries on into the latter portion of the second to mirror the continuous flowing of windy weather and the forward motion of life. Once the speaker notices the brewing storm, they “walk from window to closed window, watching boughs strain against the sky.” In this portion of the affromented run-on sentence, alliteration, rhythm, and the repetition of words all contribute to the impression of movement. The various “w” sounds at the beginnings of words and the repetition of the word “window” create a sensation of continuously flowing forward, especially when read aloud; the comma adds a small swirling pause to the rhythm, which is then soon after resumed with the word “watching.” Just as the poem rhythmically moves forward with its long phrases connected with frequent commas, so must life carry on with each additional experience, whether it be misfortunes or joys. The elongated syntax allows all these elements to work together within sentences to highlight the similarities between physical storms and emotional struggle and to stress the inevitability of predicaments in life.

A second item the reader looks at is sentence structure. In "Ozymandius," three complex sentences stretch throughout all fourteen lines. Though each sentence is complex, the second sentence contains most of the information because it continues for nine lines. Within this sentence, one can see the only example of alliteration in the poem: "cold command," and this example helps stress the importance of the sculptor's statue. Making up the