The circumstances are made clear by implication and a deep insight into the character of the speaker is given. I could never figure out what was going to happen next, and I could not wait to find out. What I thought I knew in one line, turned out to be something totally different in the next. Browning's use of narrative hooks to keep the reader involved and his use of red herrings to keep the reader guessing make this poem very interesting to read. In every good poem, short story, essay or novel, the author must use a creative hook to keep the reader interested and involved.
Browning starts with the title.
This setting gives the reader a scary sense of a murder mystery's dark and stormy night. Then the character of Porphyria is introduced. The reader must read on to see what that something will be. Now the reader continues because he wants to know what the speaker will do with the body. Another technique that the author uses is the red herring.