GOBLIN MARKET POEM

1. GOBLIN MARKET (1862)
SUMMARY
Lizzie and Laura are sisters .Every evening they will go to the nearby streams to fetch
water and they would listen to the cries of the goblins that were tempting to sell fruits to
them.The goblins would shout 'come buy,come buy' and strangely,only those maidens
were able to listen to these cries.The goblins were selling a variety of fruits and their
concept of market is a traveling fruits market .Lizzie always reminding Laura that she
should never try to see or even peek at the goblins.One day,while they were on their
routine ,fetching the water ,both of them encountered a group of goblins calling
customers to buy their fruits.Lizzie would always fear the goblins and she ran back home
while Laura was fascinated by all kind of fruits that were sold.She wanted to buy the
fruits from the goblins but she owned no money.The goblins then made her to trade a lock
of her golden hair and perhaps it symbolizes a gold penny.Laura then drank the fruits
juice to her contentment and she even brought back a kernel of a fruit stone with
her.Lizzie was so mad at her when she returned late.Laura then told Lizzie that she ate the
fruit juice and it was really delicious.Lizzie then told Laura the story of Jeanie ,the bride
to be who was died because she ate the fruits.Laura said to Lizzie that everything will be
fine and she will buy enough fruits for both of them.The next day ,Laura wanted to meet
the goblins but she could no longer see the goblins nor could she hear their cries.Lizzie
could still hear their cries though.Laura then felt sick and she could not eat or drink
anymore.She tried to plant the kernel of the fruit stone but there is no progress.Lizzie felt
worried about her sister's condition and she decided to meet the goblins.Lizzie try to find
the same group of goblins whom they have met on the day Laura bought the fruits.She
then managed to discover them and she tried to negotiate to buy the fruits with her silver
penny.The goblins were not interested in her offer but they invited her to join the feast
.Lizzie refused to join and the goblins took her silver penny.Lizzie asked for her silver
penny back but the goblins started to force-feed her with fruits .Lizzie resist to open her
mouth and the goblins started to harass her even more violent.They smeared her face with
the fruits as she did not open her mouth.The goblins tried their hard until they
surrendered to her persistence.They regarded her as the lily in the flood ,as she is really

2. brave and firm to standing alone against the goblins.The goblins then gave back her silver
penny and she ran back home as fast as she could.The goblins went disappeared .When
Lizzie arrived at home,she asked Laura to lick her neck that was syruped with the fruits
juice.Laura did as she was told and after that ,she collapsed.In the next morning ,Laura
regains her health and the tale ended with Laura and Lizzie both are wives and mothers to
their children.THE END.
ANALYSIS
This is a narrative type of poem where Lizzie and Laura were actually narrating their
stories to their children.Christina Rossetti dedicated this poem to her sister Maria
Francesca Rossetti.This poem contains 28 stanzas and 139 lines.The rhyme is irregular
because it does not always follow ABAB rhyme .The original title of this poem is A Peep
at the Goblins but Christina's brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti suggested it to be changed to
Goblin Market.There are two setting for this poem ; a fantasy world where the goblins
exist and they have a traveling fruits market and another setting is a typical English
countryside as the poem described that there were many fresh flowers ,cows to milk and
chicken to feed.
There are many themes in this poem ;
1) Female heroism = Lizzie was like a heroin as she stood against the goblins no matter
what they did to torture her.
2) Sisterhood = As she could not bear watching her sister in a death-like state,she took
the risk in saving her sister's life.She was there taking care of her sister until her
sister gained her recovery.
3) Lesbian eroticism = This poem is extravagant with the element of eroticism and
excessive skinship where Lizzie and Laura were always showing their love towards
each other by kissing ,cuddling each other while sleeping ,and they used a very
sensual language to call each other.
4) Sin = this poem also can be viewed as an allusion to the temptation of Eve in the
Garden of Eden.Laura drank the fruits juice while Eve ate the forbidden fruit.Eve

3. was kicked out from the heaven but luckily Laura got her second chance to live
because of her sister.
5) Violence = the goblins acted violently towards Lizzie when they tried to force her to
eat their fruits.They started to scratch ,kick,maul,pinch and knock her but she would
still keep her mouth shut.
ALLEGORY TO CHRISTIANITY
1) The story of Garden of Eden
Laura is Eve and Lizzie represents Adam/Christ figure/devotee while Goblin men are the
Satan.The variety of fruit are the imagery of temptations of world.Adam and Eve ate the
forbidden fruit and they were kicked out from the Garden of Eden while in this
poem,Laura ate the Goblin's dangerous fruits and she fell ill.There is a similarity in this
two stories where both Eve and Laura were tempted easily by the evils while Lizzie and
Adam were hardly moved by the temptations.The difference is that Adam ate the
forbidden fruit after being strongly persuaded by Eve but Lizzie was never being shaken
by her sister's persuasion.As the result,Adam was kicked out together with Eve but in the
poem,only Laura who suffered from illness.
2) The Last Supper
In his last night before his Crucifixion,Jesus had his final meal with his apostles .He
drank a cup of wine that was poured with his blood.The cup of wine mixed with his blood
will purify his disciples of their sin and he would be ready to be crucified instead of his
disciples.It is like to say Him only can save his disciples.In this poem,Laura took the
suffering of being harassed by the goblins because she knew only she alone can save her
sister's life.It symbolizes her readiness to sacrifice everything she has including her
body.Her body was syruped with red fruit juice and this red fruit juice was like the wine
Jesus had to drink .Laura had to drink this red fruit juice in order to escape from the
death.

4. ALLEGORY TO SEXUAL DESIRE AND VIOLENCE
Laura was no longer a maiden after she drank the fruits juice.As if she loses her virginity
after she drank the fruits juice.Lizzie was on the other hand was still a maiden as she
could still see the goblins and hear their cries.How ironic it is to lose a virginity just by
eating the goblin's dangerous fruits.The goblin men attack Lizzie with fruits , but she
refuses to eat them.The goblins then harassed her . Lizzie trade a silver penny with the
fruits to the goblins.In Elizabethan term,silver penny is another meaning of female
genitalia.
CODE OF SISTERHOOD (St. Mary Magdalene Home)
For there is no friend like a sister
In calm or stormy weather;
To cheer one on the tedious way,
To fetch one if one goes astray,
To lift one if one totters down,
To strengthen whilst one stands.
(the last six lines from the last stanza in this poem)
Code of sisterhood is the main lesson that readers can learn.How strong the bonding
between the sisters is when one of them is facing a great challenge.Siblings need to stick
together in whatever situation it is ,whether it is happiness or despair.They need to
strengthen each other,comfort each other and never leave other other.Perhaps this is also
what Christina want to deliver the message is to the fallen women in St. Mary Magdalene
Home .The fallen women or the prostitutes need to be there for each other and they will
always have hopes to recreate or rebuild their new future.Leaving their past behind,they
will have a second chance of better life.

5. ISLAMIC VALUE
As Muslims,we should not agree that the story of Garden of Eden as to be the same with
the story of Prophet Adam and Hawa' .Both are not the same as Islam has different views
on this two stories.Therefore,Muslims should be able to differentiate the differences
between these two stories.The temptations of the world are many and will never end until
the world is completely destroyed.Muslims should always be aware of their own desire
and always have to strive not to follow devil's trap.
ALLAH has reminded Muslims on these temptations and to be aware of them.These
worldly temptations will deceive Muslims and they will be drowning in this world while
trying to taste or own these temptations.There are so many verses of Quran that can be
cited as to show ALLAH's reminder to Muslims on not to be blinded by these
temptations.However,we would like to present only these two verses of the Quran which
can be literally understood by average Muslims.
Verse 14 to 15 Surah 'Ali -'Imran presents to us some forms of temptations that all human
beings are majorly attracted to posses ; beautiful women and handsome men,gold and
silver ,fine branded horses,cattle and land.Then ALLAH said that in the Paradise ,there
would be a greater glad tidings than those temporary possessions of the world.There will
be rivers flowing beneath,pure and holy companions,pleasures of ALLAH and this
Paradise will be our eternal home.
Verse 20 in Surah Al-Hadid describes to us Muslims that this world is only a place where
we only want to have fun and enjoyment,boasting about our achievement and
accomplishment,competing with each other in gaining wealth and producing
children,then ALLAH compared all of that to a plant where after a rain it will grow and
then dries,turn yellow,then lastly it becomes straw or debris.ALLAH said that there will
be a severe punishment in the Hereafter ,also His forgiveness and also His good
pleasures.And this worldly life only offered a deceiving and delusional enjoyment.