Goblin Market - Christina Rossetti

This poem by Christina Rossetti is about sisterhood and its importance. The poem is about two sisters, Lizzie and Laura, who are being called to the goblin market by the goblins. The poem starts with a cry for Lizzie and Laura to come to the market...

"Come buy our orchard fruits, Come buy, come buy"

"She thrust a dimpled finger, / In each ear, shut eyes and ran: / Curious Laura chose to linger / Wondering at each merchant man."

Lizzie is afraid of the goblins, whereas Laura isn't and she is interested in going to the goblin market. Laura goes on the describe the appearance of the goblins and how there faces look like cat faces, some crawl like snails and all of them are mutated and scary to look at. At this point, Laura is nearly stuck with the goblin, but unfortunately she has no money to buy anything from their market. The goblins are nearly begging her to buy their goods. Instead, the goblins said that she had beautiful curly hair and that she could pay with one of her gold locks, so she did. She "clipp'd a precious golden lock, / She dropp'd a tear more rare than pearl, Then suck'd their fruit globes fair or red." After eating the goblins fruit, she returned home.

"Lizzie with an open heart,/ Laura in an absent dream,/ One content, one sick in part;/ One warbling for the mere bright day’s delight,/ One longing for the night."

When returning her home, she told Lizzie how she was going to bring home fruit for her the next day. But, Laura has become ill. Laura begins to not hear the goblins calling them anymore, although Lizzie can. Laura is frustrated and still wants to go visit them again.

"Her tree of life droop’d from the root:/ She said not one word in her heart’s sore ache;/ But peering thro’ the dimness, nought discerning,/ Trudg’d home, her pitcher dripping all the way;/ So crept to bed, and lay/ Silent till Lizzie slept;/ Then sat up in a passionate yearning,/ And gnash’d her teeth for baulk’d desire, and wept/ As if her heart would break."

Fast forward through the poem, Lizzie goes to the goblin market and hands them a silver coin to request food to bring home to her sister. The goblins deny her request and instead want her to eat their fruit with them there. She says no and they become very nasty with her, including harsh barking. Her sister's "jon" wants to sleep with Lizzie but of course she denies his request. He starts to abuse Lizzie because of her denying.

Lizzie eventually returns home with the juices of the fruit. Laura is so happy and starts kissing her body, licking off all the juices, nearly on the verge of death. But, she wakes up the next morning is cured.

"Laura awoke as from a dream,/ Laugh’d in the innocent old way,/ Hugg’d Lizzie but not twice or thrice;/ Her gleaming locks show’d not one thread of grey,/ Her breath was sweet as May/ And light danced in her eyes."

This poem was very touching and powerful. Lizzie knew that going to the market was not going to be a good idea in the first place, but Laura was interested. She goes and ends up getting sick. But, thankfully Lizzie stands up for her sister and saves her life. There truly isn't anything like sisterhood.