Goblin Market

"Goblin Market" is a poem by Christina Rossetti. Written during the victorian age, some people believe it is a poem for feminism power, while others still say its just for children. I read this poem earlier in my college career, but have decided to write an essay about it using feminist critisism for my literature theory class. 

I personally really like this poem. It is about two sisters, Laura and Lizzie, who are tempted by the Goblins to eat thier fruit. One sister, Lizzie resists, but the other, Laura, pays for the fruit with a golden lock of hair. She is satisfied by the fuit only momentaringly. She soon craves more, but when she goes back the Goblin men do not return, so she starts to pine away. Her sister can't stand to see this, so returns and finds the Goblin Market. They returned only for a new customer. However became very angry when Lizzie only wanted to buy fruit and take it home, in stead of staying with them. So the goblin men: 

"...trod and hustled her,

Elbow'd and jostled her,

Claw'd with their nails,

Barking, mewing, hissing, mocking,

Tore her gown and soil'd her stocking,

Twitch'd her hair out by the roots,

Stamp'd upon her tender feet,

Held her hands and squeez'd their fruits"

Still she resist, finally got away and ran home as quick as possible. To find her sister and give 

her the left over juices from the fruit. Finally both sisters were healthy again. And in the end, 

lived to have a life of their own, never thinking of the Goblin Market again.

This poem is about sisterhood and involves a heroine, which is something that many writers

from that time didn't even think about (because most writers were men). I enjoy reading it, I don't agree with all of the articles I have read about it. Some researchers believe it is about rape and evil, but like I stated before, some think is for children. I like reading it from the point of view that Rossetti wrote to get a point out, maybe she wanted children to enjoy it to, but it does have points of feminism in it. It should be an interesting essay to write.