Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti

Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti | 1862 | Dover | Ebook $ 20

Christina Rossetti’s most famous poem will enchant readers of all ages. For children, the story offers a captivating adventure into a land of fantasy. For adults, it’s a lyric and sensual allegory of temptation, sacrifice, and salvation.

I have, as mentioned previously, been trying to make a little more effort to read + understand poetry recently — with mixed success (reading, yes; understanding, hit or miss). That’s why this story-poem is on my list for Classics Club.

This was a quick, charming read. I was particularly delighted by the mouthwatering descriptions of the goblins’ fruits for sale; I really can’t blame a girl for being tempted to try them. The goblins themselves are described as strangely cute little creatures, with animal faces and voices like birds. Truthfully, I probably would have behaved like the idiot child who bought a magically juicy peach from a purring cat-like fairy creature with absolutely no compunction. 

This is definitely probably a work intended for children. Not that it can’t be enjoyed by adults; clearly it was a nice experience for me. I’m just bringing that up because for some reason I was initially under the impression that this would be a longer, more serious narrative sort of poem, à la The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. In actuality, it’s more like a fable for young people, intended to be a lesson about the importance of close sibling bonds (and of not falling for fairy tricks, I guess). 

That said, there apparently have been a fair few more adult-oriented interpretations of the poem, and I can definitely understand why. Much of the imagery is overtly sensual, and could easily be read as alluding to the dangerous or sinful pleasures of drugs or lust. With that in mind, the poem can take on the additional interpretation of being about a woman’s temptation and near fall from grace, or perhaps fall followed by redemption; she is saved only by the intervention of someone who loves her.

I was gratified to read about these more adultish interpretations, because while reading the poem for myself I kept second-guessing whether it was really meant for children or not. I actually kind of love this about the work; it’s a short fairy tale that could make a good bedtime story, sure, but it’s also complex enough to invite much deeper thought. I’ve spent significantly more time thinking about this poem than it took me to actually read through it.

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Links:

• Public domain poem available from the Poetry Foundation
• Audio of poems by Christina Rossetti, including Goblin Market, from the Poetry Archive
• Biography of Christina Rossetti from the American Academy of Poets
• The Letters of Christina Rossetti from the University of Virginia Press

Publication information: Rossetti, Christina. Goblin market. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2012. Ebook.
Source: Public library, via Hoopla.
Disclaimer: I am not compensated, monetarily or otherwise, for reviews of books or other products.