iambic tetrameter in porphyria's lover?

where are the stresses in these lines,

"when glided in porphyria; straight"

"porphyria worshiped me: surprise"

"porphyria's love: she guessed not how"

it seems the rest is just reagular iambic tetrameter one of the lines "i

/ x / / x x / x

I listened with heart fit to break" has an irregular iambic tetrameter which reflects broken heart. broken heart/broken meter. these line with the name in are throwing me off though any help would be great.

Comments

  • It's difficult to read a meter when you only give disconnected lines. However: the first three lines you gave are regular iambic tetrameters: (Porphyria is only three syllables)

    gli / in/ phy/ straight

    phy/ wor/ me / prise

    phy/ love/ guessed / how

    This is how Browning conceived the poem: a a strict meter, with a few exceptions. You are right about the last line you quoted: it is irregular. An iamb, a pyrrhic, a spondee, an iamb.

  • This has no set meter.

    some is iambic, some trochaic, there is even amphimacic mixed in. It would have to be called free verse.

  • For one thing, each line has 9 syllables, and has a definite beat...I like this!

    'glid'....phyr...straight

    phyr...wor...prise

    phyr...guess....and it could be 'how' too

    Good Morning!

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