Porphyria [Porphyria's Lover]

Firstpubl.MRn.s.x(Jan.1836)43-4,precedingJohannes;thetwopoems weresigned'Z.'Repr.B&Piii(DL},26Nov.1842,whereJohannesnow precededit;thetwopoemsweregiventhecollectivetideMadhouseCells. Thenrepr.r849(withthetideIl.-MadhouseCell,andthesubtitlePorphyria's Lover),r863(whenitwasseparatedfromjohannes,calledsimplyPorphyria's Lover,andplacedinRomances:seeAppendixA,II464},r8652,1868,r88o (which,togetherwithitscorrectedreissuer884,isuniqueindividingthe poemintotwelvenumbereds-linestanzas),r888.OurtextisthatofMR. AnneThackerayRitchie,aclosefriendofB.,claimsthatthepoemwas writtenduringB.'striptoRussiain1834(RecordsofTennyson,Ruskinand Browning[1893)221);thereishowevernoconcreteevidencetosupportthis statement.M.Mason('BrowningandtheDramaticMonologue',Writersand theirBackground:RobertBrowning,ed.I.Armstrong,[1974)255-7)identifies twocontemporarysources.Thefirstisapassagefrom'Extractsfrom Gosschen'sDiaryno.1'(Blackwood'sMagazineiii[1818)596-8),publ. anonymouslybutnowknowntobebyJohnWilson:'Doyouthinktherewas nopleasureinmurderingher?Igraspedherbythatradiant,thatgoldenhair, Ibaredthosesnow-whitebreasts,-Idraggedhersweetbodytowardsme, and,asGodismywitness,Istabbed,andstabbedherwiththisdagger,forty times.Sheneversomuchasgaveoneshriek,forshewasdeadina moment,-butshewouldnothaveshriekedhadsheenduredpangafter pang,forshesawmyfaceofwrathturneduponher,--andsheknewthatmy wrathwasjust,andthatIdidrighttomurderherwhowouldhaveforsaken herloverinhisinsanity.Ilaidherdownuponabankofftowers,--thatwere soonstainedwithherblood.Isawthedimblueeyesbeneaththehalf-closed lids,--thatfacesochangefulinitslivingbeautywasnowfixedasice,andthe balmybreathcamefromhersweetlipsnomore.Myjoy,myhappiness,was perfect'.ThesecondsourceisapassagefromMarcianColonna{publ.1820;III xvi},apoembyB.'sfriendBryanWallerProcter('BarryCornwall'):

Hesateandwatch'dher,asanursemightdo, Andsawthedullfilmstealacrosstheblue, Andsawandfelthersweetforgivingsmile, That,asshedied,partedherlipsthewhile: Herhand?-itspulsewassilent-hervoicegone, Butpatienceinhersmilestillfaintlyshone, Andinherclosingeyesatenderness, Thatseem'dasshewouldstillColonnabless. Shedied,andspokenoword:andstillhesate Besideherlikeanimage.DeathandFate Haddonewhatmightbethen:Themorningsun Roseuponhim:onhim?-histaskwasdone.