Porphyria's Lover

In 19th-century England, it was generally accepted that men had sexual feelings they might act upon. Women, however, were expected to be virtuous and demure, never showing sexual feelings of any kind. They were generally not left in the presence of a suitor without a chaperone, and clandestine love affairs would have been frowned upon, especially among the middle to upper classes. Therefore, Porphyria’s behavior would have been seen as transgressive, not just by the lover himself, but also by the era’s audience.

At first, the audience would perceive Porphyria as acting within her expected place, tidying the hearth to make him more comfortable. When he sulkily refuses to talk to her, she cajoles him, speaking in a soft voice. She is portrayed as beautiful and kind, sacrificing her own comfort by arriving in a rainstorm, clearly living up to the time period’s picture of ideal womanhood.

However, much of this characterization is subverted. Porphyria is also bold enough to touch the speaker to encourage their intimacy. Further, she has secretly left a party at which her attendance was probably noticed, slipping away from expected duties. She is willing to speak—at least according to the lover—openly of her “struggling passion” (Line 23).