Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti
Short Essay
Introduction
Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti is a poem written in 1862. It tells the story of two sisters, Laura and Lizzie, and their meeting with strange goblin men who sell magical fruit. The poem talks about temptation, love, and the strong bond between sisters.
Temptation and Danger
The goblins call out to girls, trying to sell their delicious fruit. Lizzie warns Laura not to go near them. Lizzie reminds her of Jeanie, a girl who ate the goblin fruit and died. But Laura gives in and trades a curl of her golden hair for the fruit. She eats it and loves the taste, but later feels sick and wants more. The goblins disappear, and Laura becomes weak, sad, and older-looking.
Lizzie’s Brave Act
When Laura gets worse, Lizzie decides to save her. She finds the goblins and offers money for fruit. When she refuses to eat with them, they get angry and try to force the fruit on her. Lizzie stays strong and does not open her mouth. She runs back to Laura, covered in juice. Laura kisses the juice off Lizzie’s face and feels pain at first, but then faints and later wakes up healthy and happy again.
Conclusion
Later, Laura and Lizzie become mothers. Laura shares their story with her children, teaching them that sisters should always love and support one another. Goblin Market shows that true sisterly love can save lives and highlights the importance of family and care.
Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti in Tamil @Banumathi K's Literature Insights 👇
Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti
Detailed Essay
Introduction:
Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti is a narrative poem, composed in April 1859 and published in 1862. It appeared in her first volume of poetry, Goblin Market and Other Poems. It explores themes of temptation, sacrifice, and the deep bond between sisters. The story follows two sisters, Laura and Lizzie, as they encounter mysterious goblin men who sell irresistible, dangerous fruit, ultimately showing the power of love and loyalty.
About the Author:
Christina Georgina Rossetti (5 December 1830 – 29 December 1894) was an English poet known for writing romantic, devotional, and children's poems. Some of her most famous works include Goblin Market, The Prince's Progress, Maiden-Song, Life and Death, Bird or Beast? and so on.
A Temptation of Forbidden Fruit:
Every morning and evening, young women hear goblin men calling them to “come buy” their fruit. The goblins sell many different kinds of delicious and exotic fruits. They describe the fruits in a tempting way. The goblins claim their fruit is sweet and beautiful, urging the women to try it. The women, however, saw the fruit as something forbidden, knowing it could bring danger despite its allure.
Laura and Lizzie’s Encounter with the Goblins:
One evening, two sisters, Laura and Lizzie, hear the goblins calling as they collect water from a stream. Feeling nervous, they huddle together for safety, holding each other’s arms. Laura tells Lizzie to stay close and reminds her that they should not look at the goblin men or buy their fruit because they don’t know where the fruit comes from.
Despite the warning, Laura lifts her golden head to listen to the goblins. Lizzie cries out, telling Laura not to look, and covers her own eyes so she won’t be tempted. But Laura ignores the warnings and watches the goblins as they come down the path toward the sisters. She becomes fascinated, asking Lizzie to watch with her. Laura describes the goblins’ movements and the items they carry, like dishes, baskets, and plates. She also begins to imagine the warm, sunny place where the delicious-looking fruit might have grown, feeling more curious than afraid.
Lizzie, however, refuses to be tempted. She warns Laura again that the goblins’ fruit is dangerous, calling it their evil gifts. Determined not to be charmed, Lizzie blocks her ears with her fingers, closes her eyes, and runs away from the goblins.
Laura’s Temptation by the Goblins:
The curious Laura is fascinated by the goblins and chooses to stay behind in the glen with them. She watches as the goblins come closer, noticing how they look part animal, like a cat, rat, snail, wombat, and honey badger. Some even have voices that sound soft, pleasant and kind, like doves.
The goblins, now more desperate, keep calling out, "Come buy, Come buy,” but their voices have changed from gentle to loud and urgent. When they reach Laura, they give each other sly looks and start showing her their goods. One goblin makes a crown of strange vines, nuts, and leaves. Another goblin lifts a golden dish filled with fruit and offers it to Laura, still repeating their cry, “Come buy, come buy.”
Laura’s Bargain: A Curl for the Fruit:
Laura stares at the fruit but doesn't move because she wants it, yet has no money to pay. The goblins keep trying to tempt her, speaking in sweet, smooth voices. Laura knows she shouldn’t take the fruit without paying and quickly tells the goblins she has no money, worried that taking the fruit without payment would be like stealing.
The goblins point to her golden hair and say it can be her payment. They ask her to cut off a curl in exchange for the fruit. Laura agrees, cuts off a lock of her hair, and as she does, she sheds a tear, which is described as being more precious than a pearl.
Laura’s Unending Desire for the Goblins’ Fruit:
Laura immediately starts eating the fruit that the goblins gave her. The taste is unlike anything she has ever experienced it is sweeter than honey and stronger than wine. No matter how much she eats, she doesn’t grow tired of it, but the fruit doesn’t fill her hunger either. She continues to eat until her lips are sore and she feels confused and lost.
After eating all the fruit, Laura throws away the peels and takes a fruit seed to bring back home with her. She is so dazed that she doesn’t notice if it’s day or night.
Lizzie’s Warning: The Fate of Jeanie:
When Laura finally arrives home, Lizzie is waiting by the garden gate and scolds her for being out so late at night. Lizzie once again warns Laura about the dangers of staying in the glen at night, as it is haunted by goblin men.
She reminds Laura of Jeanie, a woman who had met the goblins in the moonlight, accepted their gifts, ate their fruit, and wore their flowers. Jeanie had cravings for their fruits and pined away, searching for them day and night, but she could never find them again. Jeanie started to grow weak and sick, her hair turned grey, and she died young, with no grass growing over her grave. Even the daisies Lizzie planted there a year ago did not grow. Lizzie ends her warning by repeating about the dangers of staying in the glen at night, as it is haunted by goblin men.
Laura's Desire for More Goblin Fruit:
Laura, however, brushes off her sister’s worries. She explains that although she ate plenty of the goblin fruit, she still craves more. Laura plans to meet the goblins again the next night to buy more fruit. She reassures Lizzie that the fruit is wonderful and she excitedly describes the delicious fruits she tried: plums, cherries, figs, melons, peaches, and grapes. She even imagines the perfect conditions in which the fruit must have grown and promises to bring more home for her sister the next night. The two sisters then settle down to sleep in the same bed.
Laura’s Growing Despair:
The next morning, Laura and Lizzie wake up to the sound of a rooster crowing and start their daily chores: gathering honey, feeding animals, cleaning the house, cooking, and sewing. While their conversation seems normal for young maidens, Lizzie is content, but Laura is distracted and sick with longing for the goblin fruit.
That evening, they go to the brook to fetch water. Lizzie is calm, but Laura is excited, hoping to see the goblins again. Lizzie spends time picking purple and golden flowers, but as the sun sets, she urges Laura to go home, noticing that no other girls are out and that even the animals and birds are at rest. Laura refuses to leave, waiting among the rushes, hoping to hear the goblins. She insists it’s still early and that the dew hasn’t fallen yet.
However, the goblins don’t call out to Laura. Instead, Lizzie hears the goblins’ cry and, becoming alarmed, urges Laura to leave: “I hear the fruit-call but I dare not look.” When Laura realizes she cannot hear the goblins, she turns cold as stone. She is deeply distressed that she cannot buy the fruit she craves, but hides her sorrow from her sister. Together, they walk home, and Laura silently goes to bed. Once Lizzie falls asleep, Laura weeps in despair, gnashing her teeth in frustration.
Laura’s Decline and Desperation:
For several days and nights, Laura waits in silence, hoping the goblins will return, but she never sees or hears them again. Overcome by sorrow and anxiety, Laura grows frail, and her once golden hair turns thin and gray. One day, she remembers the seed she had taken from her first encounter with the goblins. Hoping it might help, she plants it in a sunny spot and waters it with her tears, but no fruit grows.
As Laura becomes weaker and looks older, she dreams of the goblin fruit, much like a traveler in the desert dreams of a watering hole, only to grow even more desperate with thirst. No longer able to focus on her duties, Laura neglects the household chores she once shared with her sister. She stops cleaning, tending to the animals, cooking, or fetching water from the brook. Instead, she sits idly by the fireplace, and refuses to eat.
Lizzie’s Brave Decision:
Filled with love and concern for her sister, Lizzie can no longer stand to see Laura suffering. Unlike Laura, Lizzie still hears the goblins’ cry every morning and evening. She wishes she could buy the goblin fruit to ease Laura’s pain but is afraid of the consequences. Lizzie remembers Jeanie, who should have been a bride but instead fell sick and died young after eating the goblins' fruit.
As Laura’s health worsens and she seems close to death, Lizzie makes a bold decision. She stops hesitating, puts a silver penny in her purse, kisses Laura goodbye, and heads out across the heath at twilight. Determined to help her sister, she goes to the brook to find the goblin men. For the first time, she listens and looks for them, ready to face whatever comes next.
Lizzie’s Courage and Triumph:
The goblins laugh when they see Lizzie looking for them. They rush toward her, making noise and pulling faces. They surround her, hugging, kissing, squeezing, and touching her, offering dishes and plates full of tempting fruit with kind, pleasant and sweet voice. But Lizzie, remembering Jeanie’s fate, refuses to eat. Instead, she asks them to give fruits, tossing them a penny as payment.
The goblins try to persuade Lizzie to stay and eat with them, saying the night is still warm and young. They warn her that the fruit will lose its taste if she takes it away. But Lizzie firmly refuses, explaining that one person (Laura) is waiting for her. She demands her penny back if they won’t sell her the fruit. Angry and confused, the goblins call her proud and rude. Their once kind voices turn harsh, and their faces become angry. Enraged, they attack Lizzie, pulling her hair, scratching her body, stepping on her feet, tearing her clothes, and trying to force the fruit into her mouth.
Despite their attack, Lizzie stands strong, like a beacon left alone / In a stormy sea, or like a city under siege, refusing to give in. The goblins pinch, hit, tease, and insult her, but she keeps her lips tightly shut, knowing they want to force the fruit into her mouth. She smiles inside as the fruit juice runs down her face and neck, knowing she has won. Finally, worn out by Lizzie’s strength, the goblins give up. They throw back her penny, kick their fruit away, and disappear without giving her any fruit, leaving Lizzie victorious.
Lizzie's Sacrifice and Laura's Transformation:
With her body aching and her mind in a daze, Lizzie hurries home. She is no longer scared of the goblins, feeling proud to have escaped with her penny. Motivated by her love for Laura, she quickens her pace. When Lizzie reaches the garden, she calls out to Laura. She explains that she faced the goblins for Laura’s sake.
Laura jumps up in fear and asks Lizzie if she ate the goblins’ fruit. She worries that Lizzie will suffer the same fate she has, withering and aging like her. Fearing for her sister's life, Laura clings to her and begins kissing Lizzie.
As Laura sucks the fruit juices from Lizzie’s face, her lips begin to burn, and the once sweet fruit turns bitter and horrible, like wormwood. A fiery energy rushes through her veins as she continues to take in the bitter fruit juice. Finally, Laura collapses to the ground and became unconscious. For a moment, it is unclear whether she is dead or alive.
Laura's Recovery:
Throughout the night, Lizzie stays by Laura’s side, watching over her like a caring nurse. She checks Laura’s pulse, makes sure she is breathing, gives her water, and cools her face with tears and fanning leaves. As the morning arrives, with the sounds of birds, workers, and blooming flowers, Laura awakens completely transformed. She laughs with the same innocence she once had and embraces Lizzie. Her golden hair is restored, with not a single grey thread, and her youth and vitality return.
The Power of Sisterhood:
Years later, both Laura and Lizzie are wives and mothers. They often worry about the safety of their children. Laura gathers the children and tells them happy stories from her girlhood. But she also warns them about her dangerous encounter with the wicked, strange fruit-sellers, whose fruits tasted sweet like honey but were poisonous inside. She shares how Lizzie saved her life by bravely facing the goblin men. Taking the children’s hands, Laura reminds them to stick together, saying,
“For there is no friend like a sister
In calm or stormy weather;
To cheer one on the tedious way,
To fetch one if one goes astray,
To lift one if one totters down,
To strengthen whilst one stands.”
Conclusion:
The Goblin Market highlights the enduring bond of sisterhood and the power of selfless love. Lizzie’s bravery saves Laura from the goblins’ destructive influence, restoring her health and innocence. As adults, Laura and Lizzie share their story with their children, emphasizing the importance of unity, support, and love between siblings.
Themes:
✨ Temptation
✨ Sisterhood
✨ Sacrifice
✨ Redemption
✨ Innocence and Experience
✨ Good vs. Evil
✨ Desire and Self-Control
✨ Consequences of Indulgence
✨ Power of Love
✨ Female Solidarity and Empowerment
Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti Explanation in Tamil @Banumathi K's Literature Insights 👇✨💫
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