Compare and Contrast Tennyson's Mariana with Browning's Porphyria's Lover

Compare and Contrast Tennyson's Mariana with Browning's Porphyria's

Lover. What is the emotional state of each speaker and how

effectively is this conveyed?

Tennyson and Browning were contemporary Victorian poets. During his

lifetime, Tennyson was made Poet Laureate. His poem 'Mariana' is very

cyclical and minimal. The mood is depressive, which reflected

Tennyson's family traits, as Tennyson himself was very susceptible to

depression. However, Browning's 'Porphyria's Lover' is very linear as

the action clearly moves from one stage to another and is not so

repetitive.

The remote and rural location of each poem portrays a sense of

loneliness and isolation that is directed towards the central

character. This heightens feeling and emotion and enables them to be

introspected and egocentric. Both Mariana and Porphyria's Lover as

people are unhappy with their current lives. They both desire love, as

they feel frustrated because of their lovers. However, the two are

slightly different. Mariana has been dejected whereas Porphyria's

lover needs to control the relationship.

In verse one of 'Mariana', the overall theme is one of isolation and

neglect. The 'rusted nails' and 'broken shed' set the scene that

Mariana too is neglected throughout the poem. 'My life is dreary' is

Mariana showing her depression and also turning the misery in on

herself; her lover 'cometh not'.

Verse two shows Mariana crying. Her misery and gloominess are

overwhelmingly apparent. Also her isolation from people is evident as

she is shown to be in-tune with nature as her tears correspond to the

drops of dew in the fields around her. Other features of her

background are also appropriate. 'She glanced athwart the glooming

flats' sugges...

... middle of paper ...

...f, 'O God, that I were dead!'

Another similarity is obvious here because both solutions are death

but the difference is that Mariana but must commit suicide.

'Mariana' is very much a Victorian feminist poem in stressing female

passivity, which was very prominent in that era. 'Porphyria's Lover'

reinforces the idea of male activity and dominance compared with

females having the over ruling power. Both poems are very successful

in portraying desperate situations but focus on different points.

Tennyson is very effective in showing a switch in power and the

thought process of the central character. However, Browning's

depiction of detail around Mariana's entrapment is most impressive.

The way we can see her life going round and round in circles with

amazing background ingredients is fantastic imagery by Tennyson.

Therefore I think Mariana is more effective.