Welcome, dear readers, to an exploration of one of English literature’s most captivating and chilling poems. Today, we delve into the intricate world of Robert Browning’s “The Laboratory,” a masterpiece that invites us to peer into the darkest corners of human emotion. Prepare to be fascinated by its psychological depth and masterful craftsmanship.
Now that I, tying thy glass mask tightly,
May gaze thro’ these faint smokes curling whitely,
As thou pliest thy trade in this devil’s smithy,
Which is the poison to poison her, prithee?He is with her, and they know that I know
Where they are, what they do: they believe my tears flow
While they laugh, laugh at me, at me fled to the drear
Empty church, to pray God in, for them!, I am here.Grind away, moisten and mash up thy paste,
Pound at thy powder,—I am not in haste!
Better sit thus and observe thy strange things,
Than go where men wait me and dance at the King’s.That in the mortar—you call it a gum?
Ah, the brave tree whence such gold oozings come!
And yonder soft phial, the exquisite blue,
Sure to taste sweetly,—is that poison too?Had I but all of them, thee and thy treasures,
What a wild crowd of invisible pleasures!
To carry pure death in an earring, a casket,
A signet, a fan-mount, a filigree basket!Soon, at the King’s, a mere lozenge to give
And Pauline should have just thirty minutes to live!
But to light a pastile, and Elise, with her head
And her breast and her arms and her hands, should drop dead!Quick—is it finished? The colour’s too grim!
Why not soft like the phial’s, enticing and dim?
Let it brighten her drink, let her turn it and stir,
And try it and taste, ere she fix and prefer!What a drop! She’s not little, no minion like me—
That’s why she ensnared him: this never will free
The soul from those masculine eyes,—say, “no!”
To that pulse’s magnificent come-and-go.For only last night, as they whispered, I brought
My own eyes to bear on her so, that I thought
Could I keep them one half minute fixed, she would fall,
Shrivelled; she fell not; yet this does it all!Not that I bid you spare her the pain!
Let death be felt and the proof remain;
Brand, burn up, bite into its grace,
He is sure to remember her dying face.Is it done? Take my mask off! Nay, be not morose;
It kills her, and this prevents seeing it close:
The delicate droplet, my whole fortune’s fee—
If it hurts her, beside, can it ever hurt me?Now, take all my jewels, gorge gold to your fill,
You may kiss me, old man, on my mouth if you will!
But brush this dust off me, lest horror it brings
Ere I know it, next moment I dance at the King’s!
The Laboratory Summary: A Glimpse into Obsession
Robert Browning’s “The Laboratory,” first published in 1845, is a dramatic monologue that plunges readers into the unsettling mind of a woman consumed by jealousy and a thirst for revenge. The poem unfolds in a clandestine laboratory where the speaker oversees an apothecary preparing a deadly poison. Her target is Elise, a rival she believes has stolen her lover. The speaker meticulously details the poison’s creation, imagining its gruesome effects and reveling in the thought of her rival’s demise. She contrasts her own perceived insignificance with Elise’s attractiveness, justifying her cruel intentions. The poem culminates with the speaker rewarding the apothecary with her jewels, eagerly anticipating her return to society, now free from the torment of her obsession.
Central Idea and Noteworthy Aspects
The central idea of “The Laboratory” is a chilling exploration of extreme possessiveness, toxic jealousy, and the calculated cruelty that can fester within the human heart. Browning masterfully delves into the psychological landscape of obsession, exposing the darkness that can drive an individual to commit heinous acts. The poem is a profound study of human nature at its most depraved, yet presented with a disturbing sense of rationality from the speaker’s perspective.
As a quintessential dramatic monologue, “The Laboratory” stands out for its vivid imagery, intense emotional charge, and unsettling psychological realism. It is a powerful example of Browning’s ability to create complex characters and immerse readers in their inner worlds, leaving a lasting impression of both horror and fascination.
Unveiling the Craft: Analysis of Literary Devices in The Laboratory
Robert Browning’s “The Laboratory” is a treasure trove of literary devices, each meticulously chosen to enhance the poem’s chilling atmosphere and deepen its psychological impact. Understanding these techniques unlocks the full power of the speaker’s disturbing narrative.
- Dramatic Monologue: This is the foundational literary device of the poem. The entire piece is spoken by a single character to a silent listener (the apothecary), revealing her personality, motivations, and inner turmoil without direct authorial intervention. This form allows Browning to present a raw, unfiltered perspective, making the speaker’s descent into madness incredibly intimate and disturbing. The opening lines immediately establish this direct address:
“Now that I, tying thy glass mask tightly,
May gaze thro’ these faint smokes curling whitely,
As thou pliest thy trade in this devil’s smithy,
Which is the poison to poison her, prithee?”The speaker’s questions and commands draw the reader directly into her twisted world.
- Imagery: The poem is rich in vivid, often grotesque, imagery that appeals to the senses and creates a dark, unsettling atmosphere. Descriptions of the poison’s preparation, like “Grind away, moisten and mash up thy paste,
Pound at thy powder,” make the process disturbingly real. The speaker’s imagined scenarios are equally vivid:“But to light a pastile, and Elise, with her head
And her breast and her arms and her hands, should drop dead!”Such lines paint a horrifying picture of her vengeful fantasies.
- Metaphor: Browning employs powerful metaphors to convey the speaker’s dark intentions. The most striking is the description of the laboratory as a “devil’s smithy.” This metaphor immediately evokes images of hell, suggesting that the speaker is engaged in a morally reprehensible act, forging death with infernal tools. It also hints at the speaker’s own devilish intent.
- Rhetorical Question: The speaker frequently uses rhetorical questions, not seeking answers, but rather revealing her callous indifference and twisted justifications. For example, when considering the poison’s effect:
“If it hurts her, beside, can it ever hurt me?”
This question underscores her complete lack of empathy and her self-centered focus on revenge.
- Irony: The poem is steeped in irony, particularly dramatic irony and verbal irony. The speaker’s feigned piety in the second stanza is a stark example of verbal irony:
“they believe my tears flow
While they laugh, laugh at me, at me fled to the drear
Empty church, to pray God in, for them!, I am here.”She pretends to be a heartbroken victim, praying for her betrayers, while in reality, she is plotting their demise. This contrast highlights her duplicity and cold-heartedness.
- Apostrophe: The speaker directly addresses the apothecary throughout the poem, a literary device known as apostrophe. This direct address draws the listener (and by extension, the reader) into the immediate action and makes the speaker’s monologue feel intensely personal and urgent. The repeated “prithee” and commands like “Grind away” exemplify this direct engagement.
- Alliteration: The repetition of initial consonant sounds adds emphasis and musicality. Phrases like “grind away,” “moisten and mash,” and “brand, burn up, bite” create a sense of rhythmic intensity, often mirroring the speaker’s agitated state or the violent nature of her thoughts.
- Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds within words creates internal rhyme and enhances the poem’s sonic texture. The short “e” sound in “Let her turn it and stir” (with a slight shift to ‘i’) or the long ‘o’ in “flow” and “know” adds a subtle musicality that can be both alluring and unsettling, much like the speaker’s deceptive charm.
- Consonance: The repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words, such as the ‘r’ sound in “brand, burn up, bite into its grace,” reinforces the poem’s violent imagery and conveys a sense of relentless cruelty, almost like the grinding of the pestle.
- Enjambment: Browning frequently uses enjambment, where a sentence or phrase continues from one line to the next without a grammatical pause. This technique creates a sense of momentum and breathlessness, mimicking the speaker’s agitated and obsessive thought process. Consider these lines:
“But brush this dust off me, lest horror it brings
Ere I know it, next moment I dance at the King’s!”The thought spills over, reflecting her impatience and eagerness to move on from her dark task.
The Rhythmic Heart: Poetic Devices in The Laboratory
Beyond its rich literary content, “The Laboratory” is a masterclass in poetic form, with Browning skillfully employing various devices to shape its rhythm, structure, and overall impact.
- Rhyme Scheme and End Rhyme: The poem employs a consistent AABB end rhyme scheme throughout its twelve stanzas. This regular, almost sing-song rhythm, as seen in “tightly / whitely” and “smithy / prithee,” creates a deceptive sense of order and simplicity. This predictable structure starkly contrasts with the chaotic, violent, and morally depraved thoughts of the speaker, creating a powerful ironic effect that makes her cruelty even more unsettling.
- Stanzaic Form (Quatrains): Each stanza of “The Laboratory” is a quatrain, meaning it consists of four lines. This consistent four-line structure provides a sense of containment and control, mirroring the speaker’s meticulous planning and her attempt to control her emotions and the outcome of her revenge. The regular breaks between stanzas allow for shifts in her focus, from the poison’s preparation to her rivals, and then back to her own desires.
- Meter and Rhythm: The poem is primarily written in an irregular trochaic tetrameter, though it often deviates. A trochaic foot consists of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable (DA-dum), and tetrameter means there are four such feet per line. This meter often creates a hurried, insistent, and somewhat agitated rhythm, which perfectly captures the speaker’s feverish excitement and impatience. For example, “Now that I, tying thy glass mask tightly” demonstrates this driving, forward momentum, pulling the reader along with the speaker’s escalating obsession.
Exploring Key Passages and Themes
Certain lines in “The Laboratory” are particularly potent, encapsulating the speaker’s ruthless intent and her desire for retribution, while also highlighting the poem’s central themes.
“Not that I bid you spare her the pain!
Let death be felt and the proof remain;
Brand, burn up, bite into its grace,
He is sure to remember her dying face.”
These lines exemplify the speaker’s cold-heartedness and her desire for a dramatic, unforgettable display of revenge. The violent verbs “Brand, burn up, bite” convey a visceral cruelty, indicating that she wishes for Elise to suffer immensely. This passage reveals her twisted belief that inflicting pain and suffering is not only justified but also serves a purpose: to ensure her lover remembers Elise’s dying face, presumably as a deterrent or a reminder of her own power. This highlights the theme of **revenge and cruelty**, showing it not as a quick act, but a meticulously planned, agonizing spectacle.
“What a drop! She’s not little, no minion like me—
That’s why she ensnared him: this never will free
The soul from those masculine eyes,—say, “no!”
To that pulse’s magnificent come-and-go.”
Here, the speaker’s profound **jealousy and insecurity** are laid bare. She views herself as a “minion,” small and insignificant, in contrast to Elise’s perceived grandeur and attractiveness. This self-deprecation fuels her rage, as she believes Elise’s physical allure is what “ensnared” her lover. The lines reveal the depth of her possessiveness and her desperate desire to eliminate the source of her perceived inadequacy, underscoring the theme of **toxic obsession**.
Conclusion: The Enduring Power of The Laboratory
“The Laboratory” remains a powerful and disturbing exploration of the dark side of human nature. Through its masterful use of the dramatic monologue, vivid imagery, and a chillingly consistent rhythm, Robert Browning crafts an unforgettable portrait of a woman consumed by jealousy and driven to the brink of calculated madness. The poem’s ability to immerse readers in such a morally ambiguous world, forcing them to confront the depths of human cruelty and obsession, solidifies its place as a timeless masterpiece of English literature. It continues to captivate and disturb, prompting reflection on the destructive power of unchecked emotion and the intricate art of poetic storytelling.