Christina Rossetti: Goblin Market

     The poem Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti represents a theme of women and the power that they have not only in the story, but also in life. The first quote that represents this idea is towards the beginning of the poem where Lizzie tells Laura, “No, no, no; Their offers should not charm us, Their evil gifts would harm us.” The goblins in this story are meant to represent men and how they target women. The goblins don’t target men to eat their fruit, they only target women. In this, the word choice that the goblins use is also fairly seductive; the goblins try to seduce the women into eating their fruit. 

    The second quote that I thought also represented women’s role in society explained what Laura looked at the goblins when they were seducing her. The poem stated, “Laura stretch’d her gleaming neck Like a rush-imbedded swan, Like a lily from the beck, Like a moonlit poplar branch, Like a vessel at the launch When its last restrain is gone.” When reading, I thought this quote was targeting women in the way that women are weak; they aren’t strong enough to resist the temptation. This is explaining how women in real life are portrayed as less than men, specifically as weaker than men. In addition, for a long time, it was unacceptable for women to act sexual in any way. Here, we see women giving into their sexual temptations, which is looked down upon for women. Laura’s inability to resist temptation in this story represents the idea that women are weak and should be thought of as less than. 

Rossetti, Christina. Goblin Market.