Write about the ways Browning tells the story in Porphyria's lover

Porphyria's Lover tells the story of an upper class woman, who was having an affair with a jealous and obsessive man from a lower class. He becomes too insecure to deal with her not being entirely his, and so kills her so that they can be in love with each other and only each other forever.

Browning uses opening and setting to tell the story. Porphyria's Lover opens with a description of a forest on a stormy night, "The sullen wind was soon awake, it tore the elm-tops down fore spite". Browning uses pathetic fallacy to set a mood of tension, and personifies the wind, resulting in it sounding powerful, and cruel "for spite". This tells the story as it sets the mood and mirrors the character's mental state.

Browning uses form to tell the story. The story is told from the point of view of the lover, "I listened with a heart fit to break, when glided in Porphyria", a character, which allows the reader to know Porphyria's Lover is a dramatic monologue. Browning also uses structure when the character of Porphyria's Lover also case builds, repetition of "and", in an argumentative and angry tone, which highlights that he has done something wrong. This tells the story as it portrays the lover as obsessive, obsessing over what he did, which also adds to characterisation.

Browning also uses characterisation to tell the story, "That moment she was mine, mine" the repetition of 'mine' causes the lover to sound very possessive, and "at last I knew, Porphyria worshipped me" makes him sound delusional. The characterisation of the lover is very different to the characterisation of Porphyria, "dirty secret" implies how she is only using him for physical needs, and not real love, and "too weak, for her heart's endeavour" makes her sound vulnerable. The juxtaposition of the characterisation tells the story as it highlights how they will never really love each other or be together properly.

Finally, Browning uses ending to tell the story, "all night long we have not stirred, and yet God has not said a word!". The fact that he has sat all night with her dead on his shoulder tells the story as it emphasises how delusional and mentally ill he was, and the reference to God is another part of case building. The character is trying to reassure himself that what he has done wasn't wrong.