Robert Browning was born in England in 1812. He was an English poet of the Victorian age and his dramatic monologues were highly known among the Victorian poets. Some of Browning’s work often delved into dark themes, ‘Porphyria's Lover’ being one of his poems that explores a darker side of violence and madness. ‘Porphyria's Lover’ was originally published in 1836 and is one of Browning’s well-known dramatic monologues that explores themes of love, obsession and control. ‘Porphyria’s Lover’ presents blurred lines between love and possession as the text presents a violence complex view of women and reflects societal expectations of the time where women were often seen as objects to be possessed or controlled by men creating damage to women both physically and mentally. In a journal article titled, ‘Psychological Complexity in "Porphyria's Lover"’ by David Eggenschwiler, he mentions that “the speaker is undoubtedly mad. He strangles Porphyria with her own hair, as a culminating expression of his love and in order to preserve unchanged the perfect moment of her surrender to him.” (Eggenschwiler, 2), signifying the disturbing dramatic climax of the poem. The speaker of the poem interprets Porphyria's affectionate gestures as a complete and pure surrender to him that makes the speaker believe that by killing Porphyria at this moment of perfect “love”, he can preserve that moment forever. The speaker uses Porphyria’s own hair to strangle her and this is significant because it is a deeply ironic act that something that is a part of her beauty and femininity becomes the tool of her death. This is what Eggenschwiler means when he mentions the “culminating expression of his love”, it delves into what love is supposed to mean. The speaker's actions are not driven by rational thought but by an obsessive desire to freeze a moment in time, examining the extremities of his distorted view of love and possession. “Her darling one wish would be heard And thus we sit together now And all night long we have not stirred And yet God has not said a word!”, (Browning, lines 57-60), these lines showcase the speaker's belief that he has fulfilled Porphyria’s ultimate desire by killing her which he interprets as being able to stay and keep her together. He believes that Porphyria wanted to be possessed by him and in his mind, he justifies his actions because there is no moral consequence coming from a higher authority. Him murdering her also could be an interpretation that he now has full control over her and remains as an object to him. “Anamorphosizing Male Sexual Fantasy in Browning’s Monologue” by Tyler Efird discusses that “Like Porphyria, she is “a projection of repressed male desire” that needs containment” (Efird, 2), it suggests that Porphyria is seen as a representation of male desires that have been suppressed and need to be controlled. It further implies that the speaker of the poem views Porphyria not as a person with her own agency and feelings but rather as an object onto which he projects his own desires and needs for control. This perspective dehumanizes Porphyria and excessively digs deeper into his objectification of her character. “Browning’s Corpses” by Carol T. Christ mentions that “Many readers have noticed the way in which the speaker, before the murder, attributes all action to Porphyria and presents himself as eerily passive.” (Christ, 110), reflecting that the speaker of the poem portrays himself as quite passive while Porphyria is the one who seems to be actively engaging while the speaker is described as almost motionless and without agency. This passivity could be seen as a contrast to the violent control he takes later in the poem, which makes the murder even more unexpected to the readers. “When he kills her, he reverses the situation ; she becomes the passive object of his affection. Yet the way in which his actions mirror those that he had previously projected as hers suggests that the speaker finds in the murder a way to share a single life between the two of them.” (Christ, 111), by killing her, the speaker believes he is unifying them into a single existence, one where he has complete control over her and another where their lives are inextricably linked by his actions. “Robert Browning and the Lure of the Violent Lyric Voice: Domestic Violence and the Dramatic Monologue” by Melissa Valiska Gregory states, “Hence domestic violence, especially as it was associated with sexual conflict, became a subject of nervous inquiry throughout the nineteenth century, as well as an important subject of literary representation.” (Gregory, 174), this highlights that domestic violence and abuse was particularly linked to sexual conflict and additionally became a noteworthy theme in literary works with authors using it as a subject for representation in their writings that made a significant impact. Ultimately this connects to the 4B Movement because ‘Porphyria’s Lover’ serves the profound themes of violence, abuse, sexuality and power dynamics shown through the narrator who exerts control over Porphyria. It reflects the struggle against oppressive structures and how the 4B Movement women in South Korea are challenging and dismantling these systems to ensure equality for themselves because women are objectified and seen as sexual objects in society. According to an article titled, “South Korea’s Feminist 4B Movement: An Explainer” By Simon Coates, “ almost 80% of women had been sexually harassed at work. Digital crime, including stalking and sexual harassment, such as molka – the act of upskirting and secretly filming women in bathrooms – is rife. Under current legislation, men accused of stalking can ask their victims to drop charges. Last year, a man murdered his former colleague after she refused to do so.” This connects and delves into the toxic masculinity and unhealthy power dynamics in modern relationships and society. When individuals perceive love as possession or control, it can lead to harmful behaviors and attitudes towards women.

Works Cited:
Primary Sources:
Christ, Carol T. "Browning’s Corpses." Poetry Criticism, edited by Lawrence J. Trudeau, vol. 182, Gale, 2017, pp. 108-113. Gale Literature Criticism, link-gale-com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/apps/doc/IJLCVO469268906/LCO?u=iulib_iupui&sid=bookmark-LCO&xid=710a1a6e. Originally published in Victorian Poetry, vol. 33, no. 3-4, 1995, pp. 391-401.
Gregory, Melissa Valiska. "Robert Browning and the Lure of the Violent Lyric Voice: Domestic Violence and the Dramatic Monologue." Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, edited by Carol A. Schwartz, vol. 428, Gale, 2022, pp. 173-183. Gale Literature Criticism, link-gale-com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/apps/doc/YDHAZW036323055/LCO?u=iulib_iupui&sid=bookmark-LCO&xid=4e92eb5e. Originally published in Victorian Poetry, vol. 38, no. 4, 2000, pp. 491-510.
Secondary Sources:
Eggenschwiler, David. “Psychological Complexity in ‘Porphyria’s Lover.’” Victorian Poetry, vol. 8, no. 1, 1970, pp. 39–48. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40001520. EFIRD, TYLER. “‘Anamorphosizing’ Male Sexual Fantasy in Browning’s Monologue.” Mosaic: An Interdisciplinary Critical Journal, vol. 43, no. 3, 2010, pp. 151–66. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44029488.
Additional Sources:

Teehan, Katie. “What Is the 4B Movement?” Service95, 2 Nov. 2023, www.service95.com/4b-movement-explainer/.