Goblin Market

Goblin Market

Christina Rosetti 

Published 1862

Originally published as a victorian children's poem by Christina Rossetti, Goblin Market tells the tale of two sisters who are tempted by Goblins in a forest. Its interpretation has also changed as society and views of relationships and feminism has changed over the century. For example, the 1960s sexual revolution, analysts categorised it as a tale of sexual provocation, but the feminist movements of the 70s and 80s preached it as a feminist portrayal of male domination. What this does infer however, is that Rossetti managed to encapsulate all these themes in a poem celebrated by children and pass it off at the time as a poem of victorian morality. Her mastery of subtlety is what allows her to be celebrated as one of the most influential poets of the victorian era. And she was a woman -  almost unheard of in the world of arts which was ruled by men. Rossetti perhaps was more conscious of this than others as her brother was a founder of The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (a celebrated artistic circle of challenging artistic norms at the time). Rossetti herself, surrounded by the artistic and literary greats and revolutionaries, was conscious that she was compromised because of her gender.

Christina Rossetti witnessed first hand the problems women faced in the stratifying, unforgiving boundaries of Victorian Society which were led with the word of god - this biblical way in which people looked to for moral guidelines is ronically remarked upon in Rosetti's poem with the forbidden fruit, "For my sake the fruit forbidden?", mirroring the same story of Adam and Eve in the bible. She worked voluntarily in Highgate Penitentiary which, following the influx in the victorian era of female prostitution (perhaps brought about by the industrialisation that brought women to cities), enabled the rehabilitation of "fallen women" arrested on grounds of prostitution.

"Dear you should not stay so late, 
Twilight is not good for maidens;
Should not loiter in the glen
In the haunts of goblin men. "

 This is reflected in Goblin Market. Rossetti presents sex, inferred by "orchard fruits" which represent ripeness, greed, fertility and sensual consumption, as a monetary transaction that echoes throughout the poem "Come buy our orchard fruits/ Come buy, come buy". But instead of paying with money, she pays with something much more connected to herself "buy from us with a golden curl", selling part of her body in exchange for their fruits. 

She clipped a precious golden lock, 

She dropped a tear more rare than pearl, 

Then sucked their fruit globes fair or red. 

The "pearl" here symbolises purity and protection - reminiscent perhaps of her virginity, her worth and value. This is synonymous with the victorian opinion of the time that virginity is something valuable and powerful and should not be given away easily. In the eyes of the victorian era, once you are no longer a virgin you are ruined, wasted and undesirable. 

Your young life like mine be wasted,

Undone in mine undoing,

And ruin’d in my ruin,

She thought of Jeanie in her grave,

Who should have been a bride;

But who for joys brides hope to have

Fell sick and died

Rosetti explores how women can resisit and refuse to become subject to the men's wishes. Lizzie becomes instead an emblem of strength:

White and golden Lizzie stood,

Like a lily in a flood,—

Like a rock of blue-vein’d stone

Lash’d by tides obstreperously,—

Like a beacon left alone

In a hoary roaring sea,

Sending up a golden fire,—

Like a fruit-crown’d orange-tree

White with blossoms honey-sweet

Sore beset by wasp and bee,—

Like a royal virgin town

Topp’d with gilded dome and spire

Close beleaguer’d by a fleet

Mad to tug her standard down.

The imagery Rosetti uses of a "royal virgin town" under seige represents her resistance and upheld dignity. She retains her worth "topp'd with gilded dome and spire" which also reflects how she is rising above the indignity. 

At last the evil people,

Worn out by her resistance,

Flung back her penny, kick’d their fruit

Along whichever road they took,

Not leaving root or stone or shoot;

From Rosetti's work in the womens rehabilitation center, its clear she was greatly influenced over the power of sisterhood. The girls in the poem are shown to rely on each other. Lizzie is the "voice of reason" in the poem, cautious and aware of danger. 

“No,” said Lizzie, “No, no, no;

Their offers should not charm us,

Their evil gifts would harm us.”

She thrust a dimpled finger

In each ear, shut eyes and ran:

Curious Laura chose to linger

Wondering at each merchant man.

Whereas Laura is more vulnerable and free - enchanted by the "goblin men". Their fruits act like a kind of drug - like love and lust often act like a dehabilitating force on young women - when they are too overcome by the charms of men they will do anything to keep in their favour. 

Lizzie with an open heart,

Laura in an absent dream,

One content, one sick in part;

...

Then sat up in a passionate yearning,

And gnash’d her teeth for baulk’d desire, and wept

As if her heart would break.