Module 4: Poetry

2. Robert Browning: “Porphyria’s Lover” #

The following example is the poem “Porphyria’s Lover” by Robert Browning. Although no formal line groups are discerned, it has a systematic rhyme scheme repeating every 5 lines. This is indicated in the @rhyme attribute of the outermost <lg> element. Some of the lines break up syntactic sentences; those have been marked with the value "yes" for an @enjamb attribute.

<l>THE rain set early in to-night,</l>

<l>The sullen wind was soon awake,</l>

<l>It tore the elm-tops down for spite,</l>

<l>And did its worst to vex the lake:</l>

<l>I listen'd with heart fit to break.</l>

<l>When glided in Porphyria; straight</l>

<l>She shut the cold out and the storm,</l>

<l enjamb="yes">And kneel'd and made the cheerless grate</l>

<l>Blaze up, and all the cottage warm;</l>

<l enjamb="yes">Which done, she rose, and from her form</l>

<l>Withdrew the dripping cloak and shawl,</l>

<l enjamb="yes">And laid her soil'd gloves by, untied</l>

<l>And call'd me. When no voice replied,</l>

<l>She put my arm about her waist,</l>

<l>And made her smooth white shoulder bare,</l>

<l>And all her yellow hair displaced,</l>

<l>And, stooping, made my cheek lie there,</l>

<l>And spread, o'er all, her yellow hair,</l>

<l enjamb="yes">Murmuring how she loved me—she</l>

<l>Too weak, for all her heart's endeavour,</l>

<l>To set its struggling passion free</l>

<l>From pride, and vainer ties dissever,</l>

<l>And give herself to me for ever.</l>

<l>But passion sometimes would prevail,</l>

<l>Nor could to-night's gay feast restrain</l>

<l>A sudden thought of one so pale</l>

<l>So, she was come through wind and rain.</l>

<l>Happy and proud; at last I knew</l>

<l enjamb="yes">Porphyria worshipp'd me; surprise</l>

<l>Made my heart swell, and still it grew</l>

<l>While I debated what to do.</l>

<l>That moment she was mine, mine, fair,</l>

<l>Perfectly pure and good: I found</l>

<l enjamb="yes">A thing to do, and all her hair</l>

<l>In one long yellow string I wound</l>

<l>Three times her little throat around,</l>

<l>And strangled her. No pain felt she;</l>

<l>I am quite sure she felt no pain.</l>

<l>As a shut bud that holds a bee,</l>

<l enjamb="yes">I warily oped her lids: again</l>

<l>Laugh'd the blue eyes without a stain.</l>

<l>And I untighten'd next the tress</l>

<l enjamb="yes">About her neck; her cheek once more</l>

<l>Blush'd bright beneath my burning kiss:</l>

<l>I propp'd her head up as before,</l>

<l>Only, this time my shoulder bore</l>

<l>Her head, which droops upon it still:</l>

<l>The smiling rosy little head,</l>

<l>So glad it has its utmost will,</l>

<l>That all it scorn'd at once is fled,</l>

<l>And I, its love, am gain'd instead!</l>

<l enjamb="yes">Porphyria's love: she guess'd not how</l>

<l>Her darling one wish would be heard.</l>

<l>And thus we sit together now,</l>

<l>And all night long we have not stirr'd,</l>

</lg>

Example 2. TBE-crafted example encoding of Robert Browing’s poem “Porphyria’s Lover,” as it appeared in Dramatic Lyrics (Browning 1842).

Bibliography

Blake, William. 1789. Songs of Innocence and of Experience. London: W Blake. Encoded and made available by the University of Virginia Library, Text Collection at https://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/BlaSong.html.
Browning, Robert. 1842. Dramatic Lyrics. London: Moxon.
Carroll, Lewis. 1865. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. New York: D. Appleton and co. p. 37.
Islam, Mubina. 2004. “A Selection of Sonnets: electronic edition encoded in XML with a TEI DTD.” Unpublished Master’s Dissertation, London: University College London.
Shakespeare, William. 1978. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Edited by Alexander, Peter. London: Collins.
Swinburne, Algernon Charles. 1924. Swinburne’s Collected Poetical Works. London: William Heinemann. p. 330–31.

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Module 4: Poetry

2. Robert Browning: “Porphyria’s Lover” #

Bibliography