Blog Entry 2.1 Goblin Market

Author

Christina Georgina Rossetti was one of the most important female poet of nineteenth century. She was born in London, England December 5th, 1830. She is from a notable family of poets and artists where she inherited her artistic talent from her father Gabriele Rossetti, an Italian poet and a refugee from Naples. "Goblin Market" is one of her most well-known poem which was composed in 1859 and published in 1862.


Plot

It is a tale of two sisters Laura and Lizzie. When they go to the reedy brook to fetch water they hear goblins selling fruits.
They sell all kinds of fruits, all of them ripen, sweet and juicy. They tempt the two young girls to buy their fruits. Clever, strong-minded Lizzie wouldn't even look at them because she knows she shouldn't be tempted by goblins.

While Lizzie covered her eyes and ran back to house, curious Laura decided to linger and see what their fruits were about.
Naive Laura was fooled by the goblins and thought they were not so harmful after all and turned down her guard and went close to them, willing to buy fruits while she had no money. Goblins suggested her to buy with her golden hair.

Trading with a lock of her hair and a drop of tear, she got to taste their fruits that was nothing like she tasted before.
She goes back home where she met Lizzie at the gate, worrying about her for staying too late at night. Laura says it's alright and she'll go back there next day. The next evening when two sisters went to the brook, goblins tempting the girls with the fruits but only Lizzie hear them while Laura couldn't hear a thing.

Day after day, Laura couldn't hear or see the goblins. She was losing hope to taste their fruits again, she was not the
old Laura anymore. Lizzie watching her sister struggles, decided to go get the fruits for her sister. Confronting the goblins,
Lizze told them she wants to buy the fruits to bring it to her sister. Goblins laughed at her, harassed her and abused her.

Brave Lizzie made it back home with the juice from the goblins' fruits all over her face and body, letting Laura to suck them.
After sucking the juice from Lizzie, Laura got her strength back and became the old Laura again.

Many years later and when they both became wives and mothers, Laura would call her children and tell them about the old times and how brave her sister was for her and how strong their sisterhood was.



Symbols

There are a lot of symbols throughout the poem, I pointed out some obvious ones and some other symbols that I thought was interesting.

3 Come buy our orchard fruits
=> temptation, youth and virginity, addiction

56 One hauls a basket,
57 One bears a plate,
58 One lugs a golden dish
59 Of many pounds weight.
=> all of three materials the goblins had shows power, and also those are what they use to put the fruits(virginity)on.
Therefore they could also mean a penis - a body part to show a man's power and reproductive ability.

77 She heard a voice like voice of doves
=> doves are a common symbol of peace, and also it shows how naive and clueless Laura was to think goblins sound like doves when they clearly had faces of evils.

115 But sweet-tooth Laura spoke in haste
=> again, it shows how naive, weak and easy to be fooled she is.

118 I have no copper in my purse,
119 I have no silver either,
=> obviously they mean money but also mean power - with no money she is in a powerless position.

126 She clipp'd a precious golden lock
=> shows that Laura made her decision to lose virginity. Being that she clipped the hair herself not the goblins,
she made her own decision to lose her virginity and go for the temptation.

136 She suck'd until her lips were sore
=> obvious description of sexual action, losing the virginity

141 Lizzie met her at the gate
=> indicates a barrier between two sisters. After tasting the fruit (losing virginity) she is not the old Laura again and they are no longer same (virgins). Meeting at the gate means now they are standing on different sides.

160 I planted daisies there a year ago
=>Lizzie being young, innocent and hopeful.

326 At twilight, halted by the brook
:=>Lizzie goes to see the goblins at twilight.It's a point between night and day she is at a point of being a virgin and lose her virginity.

348 Hugg'd her and kiss'd her:
349 Squeez'd and caress'd her:
350 Stretch'd up their dishes,
=> goblins try to tempt and seduce her by caress her and show their dishes (power)

366 Held out her apron
=> a protection, a barrier between Lizzie and the goblins.

403 Tore her gown and soil'd her stocking,
404 Twitch'd her hair out by the roots,
405 Stamp'd upon her tender feet,
406 Held her hands and squeez'd their fruits
407 Against her mouth to make her eat.
=> description of a forced sexual act, a rape.

409 Like a lily in a flood
=> powerless Lizzie in front of goblins.

430 Lizzie utter'd not a word;
431 Would not open lip from lip
432 Lest they should cram a mouthful in
433 But laugh'd in heart to feel the drip
434 Of juice that syrupp'd all her face,
=> a development of Lizzie's state of mind - first resistance and then giving herself in.

481 Your young life like mine be wasted,
=>regretful Laura looking at Lizzie and feel sorry for her to lose the innocence and pureness for her good.



Archetypes

Laura
- A naive girl who is easy to be seduced
- She could also indicate an addict for sex or drugs, depends on how we think of goblins' fruits.
- Traditional role of a woman who is submissive to a man.

Lizzie
- A Hero
- A mature and clever sister figure and/or a friend.
- A norm, a law that the society should follow
- doing the right thing- A possibility to show that females can be powerful in that society.

Goblins
- Men, Temptations, Seduction, Drugs, Addiction, Power


Conclusion

When I read this poem for the first time, it surprised me in many ways. First, it was the longest poem I've ever read in my life.
It took me several days to read it over and over again until I got an idea of what it was about. It took me hours to finish reading because I'd get distracted or bored in the middle of the reading.

Secondly, it was too violent and sexual for children to read. The author first claimed this was not written for children, but later she said it was for children and she went on writing more poems for children.

Third of all, even though it was violent, I was impressed at the author's insight. It is written over 150 years ago but is still relatable and could be interpreted in various ways in this modern society.

In my opinion at the time when the author wrote this poem, women didn't have much rights to the society. The author wanted to write a poem for children and adults especially females to educate them - to show what's right and what's wrong, and the consequences of your decisions - by coming up with two obviously different characters such as Laura and Lizzie, and shows through Lizzie that females too can be a hero.


Web source

Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Rossetti