ArShi SS: The 10 Days Challenge[COMPLETE]

CHAPTER 2

And I untightened next the tress

About her neck; her cheek once more

Blushed bright beneath my burning kiss:

I propped her head up as before,

Only, this time my shoulder bore

.

A sudden lull adorned the ambiance as Professor Montgomery enunciated the lines from the text book, giving analysis of each stanza as he went on, finally reaching the penultimate one. The explanation brought many to the edge of their seats as their brains tried to figure the gravity of the lines of the Robert Browning poem in their combined English class.

Her head, which droops upon it still:

The smiling rosy little head,

So glad it has its utmost will,

That all it scorned at once is fled,

And I, its love, am gained instead!

Many "Awwws" and "Whoas!" were heard in mere murmurs from the females of the class while the males sat silently, switching glances between their textbooks and the English professor who dramatically went on to enunciate the lines from the ancient poem.

What was this poetry?

Romance or Violence?

Many thought to themselves.

.

Porphyria's love: she guessed not how

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!

And the final stanza was done with that, Prof. Montgomery explaining the last lines in modern English, so that the students could comprehend better.

"And that, dear students, was the end of Porphyria's Lover."

He said as he closed the book in a subtle way, letting out a deep sigh, as if himself affected by the dramatic impact of the intense poem.

He expected the class to be back in their monkey-business mode, but to his utter surprise they remained quiet. Relieved, and at the same time surprised, he asked-

"Any questions, students?"

He thought his query would go unanswered making him think for a moment, were his students really taking a literature lesson seriously for a change? But his delusion was short-lived as he heard someone speak,

"No questions sir! But this Browning dude seems to be a psycho for writing such a poem! Who kills his lady love by strangling her with her own hair?! This guy gives me the creeps!"

Aman said with a weird expression etched to his face as many murmurs and nods of compliance followed soon after.

"Silence, class!"

The professor ordered, irked by the sudden noises that echoed in the lecture theatre. The noise diminished by one unit, before Lavanya spoke,

"I totally agree with Aman, sir. Gosh! I feel bad for his poor girlfriend Porphyria,who he killed! I mean this guy is a total psychooo!"

She dramatically stretched the O phonetic of the last word as she spoke.

"That reminds me of someone!"