Christina Rossetti was a remarkable poet in 19th century England. Her parents were from Italy, and they have four children. Rossetti had discontinued going to school at the age of 14 owing to a nervous breakdown. She started to write poems when she was only 7. Her mother, sister, and she participated in the faith movement of the English church positively. Her poems and private life were affected by such a religious background. Rossetti brought “Goblin Market and Other Poems” into the world when she was 31, and “Goblin Market” is one of the most famous poems of all her works.
There was a goblin market in the town where Laura and Lizzie lived in. Goblins sold all kinds of appetizing fruit, and they always cried “in tones as smooth as honey” (line 108) to attempt the sisters to buy. Laura was deceived by goblins one day. When Laura said that she has no money to buy the fruit, goblins answered that she can pay them a golden curl instead. Once Laura had tasted the goblins’ fruit, she craved that she could meet the goblins again so she could buy the fruit. However, she couldn’t hear the goblins’ cry. Then she couldn’t eat that tempting fruit. Laura became thin and drawn as day follows day. Lizzie screwed up her courage to go and deal with the goblins. Finally, she gained the antidote, then she rescued Laura from the breakdown.
When Rossetti described the spectacle of selling, she mentioned fruit in great variety through line 5 to line 27. These fruit connote temptation. “Sweet to tongue and sound to eye” (line 30) indicate how attractive the fruit are. However, the author wrote “poison in the blood” (line 555) to show that those fruit are gorgeous apparently, but they harm us when we eat it. Rossetti gave us a hint that there are all sorts of worldly enticements around us, but many of them are injurious.
One of the archetypes that I found in this poem is Lizzie. When her sister was getting worse day by day, “Lizzie weigh’d no more” (line 322). She stood against the goblins determinedly instead of hanging back. Even though the goblins “ cuff’d and caught her, coax’d and fought her, scratch’d her, pinch’d her black as ink, kick’d and knock’d her, maul’d and mock’d her” (line 424-429), Lizzie still said “ never mind my bruises” (line 467), “for your sake I have braved the glen and had to do with goblin merchant men” (line 473,474) to Laura. These interpret that people can endure any pains for their families. They are ready to sacrifice in case of need. Willing to do everything in one’s power to help the family is the instinct of human beings. “For there is no friend like a sister” (line 562) reflects the fact that blood is thicker than water.
In my opinion, this poem is about the instinct of human potentialities. Laura tempted by the goblins and fell into evil ways. Her sister, Lizzie, extricated Laura from dangers. Everybody may step in the wrong way at one point in life by dazzling temptation. Our family will always try to guide us onto the right path in that case.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Rossetti
No problem reading.... I just don't get the plot... too vague...give a little more depth! ok :-)
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