Porphyria's Lover Sin Quotes

Why are her gloves "soiled," or dirty? Sure, it's raining outside, but this is an interesting, and perhaps telling, detail to include. Perhaps the "soiled gloves" are somehow symbolic of Porphyria's "soiled" virtue or reputation.

We pointed out the importance of the word "fall" in "Symbolism, Imagery, Wordplay" – it could suggest the Victorian idea of the "fallen woman," who has "fallen" from virtue by having sex outside of marriage.

The "smooth white[ness]" of Porphyria's shoulder contrasts with the sin she's committing by visiting her lover.

The speaker doesn't consider Porphyria's presence there to be a sin. For him, the real sin is her "weak[ness]" and "pride" – her unwillingness to throw off society's expectations and be with him forever.

The moment that Porphyria "worship[s]" the speaker, he decides that she's no longer committing the sin of "pride" and she becomes "perfectly pure and good."

The murder of Porphyria, in the speaker's mind, isn't a sin at all – it's just "a thing to do." He's awfully casual about killing his lover.

"Stain" is usually a metaphor for sin (like the bloodstains that Lady Macbeth can't get off her hands), but it's not clear what the metaphor of the "stain" is doing here. Is the speaker suggesting that, now that Porphyria is dead, the "stain" of her sins is gone? Or is he relieved to find that there is no visible "stain" in her eyes to mark his sin of murdering her?