Porphyria's Lover

The lover mentions Porphyria’s hair several times, most obviously as the murder weapon. However, its color, length, and volume are also important. At the time of the poem’s publication, many people considered light complexions and hair color to be indicative of innocence, even goodness, and Porphyria is a blonde. Golden hair was often likened to gold itself and thus deemed precious. However, the speaker significantly does not describe Porphyria’s hair as gold but “yellow” (Line 18, Line 20), the symbolic color of cowardice, a reference perhaps to Porphyria’s inability to extricate herself from her “vainer ties” (Line 24). This, as well as the early description of Porphyria letting her “damp hair fall” (Line 13), shows that metaphorically the speaker sees her as both too fickle and too sexual. In the Victorian era, hair was generally kept pinned up—except for special occasions like a party, at bedtime, or during intimate encounters such as sex. Even now, letting down one’s hair is an idiom for forgoing conventional behavior. The speaker is also fixated on the volume of Porphyria’s hair, noting how she “spread, o’er all, her yellow hair” (Line 20), suggesting it is overwhelming and widespread. Rather than confront his feelings about her sexuality, and his own, the speaker instead decides he must deny all sexuality and uses Porphyria’s own hair to murder her.