What Is The Tone Of Porphyria's Lover

What starts off as a seemingly normal love poem takes a shocking turn as one lover goes to extremes in order to gain control. Robert Browning’s poem “Porphyria’s Lover” illustrates how far a person is willing to go to gain complete control in their relationship.
Within the first five stanzas of the poem, Porphyria appears to be in control of the relationship with the speaker; however, as the tone shifts the true intentions of the speaker are revealed. Browning begins the poem by describing the weather as “sullen wind” breaking down the trees solely out of “spite”. The ominous weather represents the current state of emotions of the speaker. The use of sullen and spite insinuate that the speaker is unhappy about the relationship and plans to take their feelings on Porphyria. In those first five stanzas, Porphyria appears to be in control of her relationship which is unusual for Victorian times. When women generally did not have any power, especially over men. She shuts out “the cold” and makes a fire in the previously “cheerless grate” which in turn causes the tone to shift from being unhappy to slightly happier. Porphyria physically moves the speaker by putting the speaker’s “arm around her waist and “cheek” on her shoulder as if the speaker is a doll. The speaker’s lack of reply and movement further symbolizes that the speaker need for control in the relationship. The tone of

Porphyria then declared “she loved” the