The Strange Twists and Turns of Robert Browning

If I had to sum up Browning, I would say expect the unexpected. If you think you have predicted the outcome of one of his poems, do not be too sure. It is kind of like the poem equivalent to "Saw". No one can truly claim that they predicted the ending on that movie. Another connection is the level of violence at times. His work, Porphyria's Lover, is very surprisingly gruesome. The poem begins with the tones of a beautiful romance. I found myself slipping into "chick-flick" mode, ready to be swept away in an enrapturing tale. Enraptured, I was, but not in the way I expected. Browning somehow creates a rhythm and movement in his writing that carries the reader without a chance of boredom. My engagement with his poem surprised me since I usually do not like poetry. The ending of the poem is appalling, but yet memorable because of it's unexpected nature. My only concern with a writing style based upon shock factor is that it does not allow for simplicity or predictability when so desired. The commonplace things are also beautiful in their time and place.

Browning's explanation for writing about "bad" things was quite convincing and logical however. According to Browning, "...all of nature, even human nature, bespeaks some part of an unknowable absolute. Thus everything becomes material for poetry, the dirty, deformed, and despicable no less than the beautiful, pure, and radiantly good." (662)
The way that he portrays the "bad" people, we are reminded of the humanity of each one. Often, we villainize a person to the point of dehumanization. We see them as only the despicable act and not a person that did one despicable act. The narrator in Porphyria's Lover does speak tenderly about her and her features. One can almost believe that he cares about her. The poem is unsettling because you know that you should loathe the murdering lover, but somehow, sensitivity for him still remains.
I have similar inconsistencies of feeling while reading My Last Duchess. At one moment, I am despising the man for the way he despises his lady's loyalty and his musing about a second marriage. The way in which he describes his lady inspires one to believe that he does love her. However, the poem suggests that he will murder the girl which I find disheartening.
Browning's villains remind me of the man from the movie, "Dead Man Walking". I was required to see this movie for First Year Seminar. Prior to seeing the movie, I was for capital punishment. After seeing the movie, my standpoint was less solid. It is easy to hold a perspective until a person and scenario is represented before you. In the past, I just assumed that all the people that might receive capital punishment were merely murderers. I will admit to dehumanizing them in that sense. The character in this movie was guilty of a terrible rape and double-murder. In the end, when justice is served, I found myself feeling unsettled. His crime was heinous and thus, part of me wanted him to be killed. On the other hand, he showed remorse and a change of heart.
Similarly, I think that Browning likes to take our minds and hearts and put them in an egg scrambler. His works force the reader to question all preconceived notions. My feelings about Browning are consistent with my feelings about his works: intriguing in an unsettling sense. If you are looking for a feel-good read, look elsewhere, like Shaw perhaps.