"What songs the Syrens sang, or what name Achilles assumed "

         In my analysis of Porphyria's Lover, I didn't recognize that Porphyria was actually killed by the narrator until after coming to class. I interpreted this poem as a classic struggle between a married woman and her lover. Their initial interaction on a stormy night was my first clue that Porphyria was not single. The narrator's initial reluctance to embrace Porphyria until her smile proved she worshipped him is also characteristic of a jealous lover. Although I had assumed his mention of God was his conscience revealing his guilt over loving a married woman, the theory that the narrator killed Porphyria holds true throughout the rest of the poem. Phrases such as "propped her head up" and her head, which droops" suggest that she has just been murdered.
           A Letter to Maggie highlighted many errors I have found in my own writing especially in terms of focusing on elegant prose rather than collecting appropriate evidence to support my thesis. His comparison between expressing a point rather than making a point through reason correctly explains a common misconception in writing. In addition, his example of investigative shows demonstrates that the audience prefers watching the narrator come to a point using evidence rather than just stating a point. Like Slevin and Columbo, I enjoy the show Psych because I can watch Shawn Spencer put clues together to discoverer the murderer.
           Aristotle's Poetics explains the proper formulas and balances between length and content necessary to create good poetry. I found his comparison of poets and historians to be particularly interesting because while a poet is "maker of stories" he/she must also represent general truths by writing what might have happened based on man's behavior.
          My Last Duchess seems similar to Porphyria's Lover in that a controlling narrator is enamored by a genial natured duchess. However because he is so terrified of losing her, he kills her so that he can control her forever. Perhaps even more disturbing, the narrator then decides to have a painting made of the duchess to capture her lively beauty. The rhyming scheme at the end of every two lines as the narrator negotiates over the dowry of his next duchess adds a suspenseful tempo to suggest that the narrator will strike again if his next wife doesn't obey him.