Goblin Market is the most famous work by the English poet and children’s writer Christina Rossetti. It was published in 1862 and achieved immediate success. It tells the story of two sisters, Lizzie and Laura, who are drawn to the tempting cries of goblins selling a luscious array of fresh fruits. Lizzie reminds Laura that another young woman named Jeanie had fallen ill and died after eating the goblins’ fruit. Nevertheless, Laura eventually gives in to temptation and buys a fruit with a lock of her own hair. Lizzie, soon realizing that her sister is dying, returns to the goblins to obtain the juice that will save her sister. The goblins urge Lizzie to taste the fruits, but she resists.
In the following excerpt (lines 299-421), Lizzie decides to brave the goblins on her own:
Tender Lizzie could not bear To watch her sister’s cankerous care Yet not to share. She night and morning Caught the goblins’ cry: “Come buy our orchard fruits, Come buy, come buy:”— Beside the brook, along the glen, She heard the tramp of goblin men, The voice and stir Poor Laura could not hear; Longed to buy fruit to comfort her, But feared to pay too dear. She thought of Jeanie in her grave, Who should have been a bride; But who for joys brides hope to have Fell sick and died In her gay prime, In earliest Winter time, With the first glazing rime, With the first snow-fall of crisp Winter time. Till Laura dwindling Seemed knocking at Death’s door: Then Lizzie weighed no more Better and worse; But put a silver penny in her purse, Kissed Laura, crossed the heath with clumps of furze At twilight, halted by the brook: And for the first time in her life Began to listen and look. Laughed every goblin When they spied her peeping: Came towards her hobbling, Flying, running, leaping, Puffing and blowing, Chuckling, clapping, crowing, Clucking and gobbling, Mopping and mowing, Full of airs and graces, Pulling wry faces, Demure grimaces, Cat-like and rat-like, Ratel- and wombat-like, Snail-paced in a hurry, Parrot-voiced and whistler, Helter skelter, hurry scurry, Chattering like magpies, Fluttering like pigeons, Gliding like fishes,— Hugged her and kissed her, Squeezed and caressed her: Stretched up their dishes, Panniers, and plates: “Look at our apples Russet and dun, Bob at our cherries, Bite at our peaches, Citrons and dates, Grapes for the asking, Pears red with basking Out in the sun, Plums on their twigs; Pluck them and suck them, Pomegranates, figs.”— ”Good folk,” said Lizzie, Mindful of Jeanie: “Give me much and many:”— Held out her apron, Tossed them her penny. “Nay, take a seat with us, Honour and eat with us,” They answered grinning: “Our feast is but beginning. Night is yet early, Warm and dew-pearly, Wakeful and starry: Such fruits as these No man can carry; Half their bloom would fly, Half their dew would dry, Half their flavour would pass by. Sit down and feast with us, Be welcome guest with us, Cheer you and rest with us.”— ”Thank you,” said Lizzie: “But one waits At home alone for me: So without further parleying, If you will not sell me any Of your fruits tho’ much and many, Give me back my silver penny I tossed you for a fee.”— They began to scratch their pates, No longer wagging, purring, But visibly demurring, Grunting and snarling. One called her proud, Cross-grained, uncivil; Their tones waxed loud, Their looks were evil. Lashing their tails They trod and hustled her, Elbowed and jostled her, Clawed with their nails, Barking, mewing, hissing, mocking, Tore her gown and soiled her stocking, Twitched her hair out by the roots, Stamped upon her tender feet, Held up her hands and squeezed their fruits Against her mouth to make her eat. White and golden Lizzie stood, Like a lily in a flood,— Like a rock of blue-veined stone Lashed by tides obstreperously,— Like a beacon left alone In a hoary roaring sea, Sending up a golden fire,— Like a fruit-crowned orange-tree White with blossoms honey-sweet Sore beset by wasp and bee,— Like a royal virgin town Topped with gilded dome and spire Close beleaguered by a fleet Mad to tug her standard down.
Rossetti uses her gift for richly descriptive language and her characteristic style of uneven rhythms to great effect here. Lizzie’s calm resistance—”like a lily in a flood”—is set against the furious energy of the evil goblins, whose actions are described with short, staccato lines.
Though “Goblin Market” has remained an extremely popular poem, it is also one of the most widely interpreted. Rossetti herself described it as “just a fairy tale.” However, various critics since have seen it as a morality tale, in which the characters represent virtues and vices; as a religious allegory, a story with a symbolic religious meaning; and even as a verse of disturbingly erotic symbolism. Rossetti was deeply religious, and her poem was probably most driven by the theme of Christian redemption. Parallels with the story of Adam and Eve, who were expelled from the Garden of Eden after tasting forbidden fruit, are also obvious.
See also Rossetti, Christina Georgina.
