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Publication
Harrap, London, 1971 reprint of 1969 edition. 140 x 210 mm, 48 pages, unpaginated. Beige boards with dark brown titles and decorations. Endpapers illustrated with goblin motif. 4 colour plates by Arthur Rackham.
Description
Her sister's love saves Laura from the poison of the fruit she bought from the goblins in the haunted glen.
User reviews
LibraryThing member MeditationesMartini
Possibly one of my all-time top five Victorian poems. The mythopoeic sexual violence of it. The feminist cri de coeur. The dreamy feyness of the goblin men, and their ghostly song and he promise of fruits unattainable by other means (I think of that (male) stripper in the Thriller jacket who
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drugged me on Koh Phangan). The rhyme scheme, and the way it fractures, unravels, thaws into a dew, and then resolves and reforms and returns. Show Less
LibraryThing member raselyem7
I love this poem. The goblin men always make me sad, constructed as monstrous because of the danger that lay in sexual temptation for women in this period. But, I love the relationship between the sisters, and I love that Lizzie goes down to face the goblin men, and temptation, to save her sister.
Perhaps the truly shocking part of this poem is that Lizzie is able to save Laura. Often these narratives end with the "wicked" woman going insane or dying, despite effort made to 'save' her.
For anyone interesting, Laini Taylor has a book called "Lips Touch Three Times," and the first of the three novellas is a re-telling of Rossetti's poem.
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It is, of course, a narrative of self denial and self sacrifice. But it is also a story about the strength of the relationship between two women, not one of competition, or destruction, but one of love and solidarity in a hard world. Perhaps the truly shocking part of this poem is that Lizzie is able to save Laura. Often these narratives end with the "wicked" woman going insane or dying, despite effort made to 'save' her.
For anyone interesting, Laini Taylor has a book called "Lips Touch Three Times," and the first of the three novellas is a re-telling of Rossetti's poem.
Show Less
LibraryThing member AlCracka
I do get around to almost every book recommended to me. It might take me a year, but I will get there. So, thanks El! This poem was a ton of fun! I especially liked the part where the nubile young woman sucks nectar off her sister's neck. I was all, "Aw yeah! High five!" But I was alone, so I had
It's a weird, wicked poem. The meter and rhyme scheme are schizophrenic; I tried to track it for a while, but you actually can't. Rosetti has no intention of being consistent. That adds to the creepy feel of the poem, as you're constantly off balance. I'm not sure what the goblin fruit represents. Addiction? Marriage? Lesbian incest? I think, like most of the best poems, it can mean whatever you like to think it means.
Dope stuff, yo.
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to high five myself. It's less depressing than it sounds. No it's not.It's a weird, wicked poem. The meter and rhyme scheme are schizophrenic; I tried to track it for a while, but you actually can't. Rosetti has no intention of being consistent. That adds to the creepy feel of the poem, as you're constantly off balance. I'm not sure what the goblin fruit represents. Addiction? Marriage? Lesbian incest? I think, like most of the best poems, it can mean whatever you like to think it means.
Dope stuff, yo.
Show Less
LibraryThing member mykl-s
-mysterious, deep, funny and sad, new every time I read it
LibraryThing member librarycatnip
I love this poem. The goblin men always make me sad, constructed as monstrous because of the danger that lay in sexual temptation for women in this period. But, I love the relationship between the sisters, and I love that Lizzie goes down to face the goblin men, and temptation, to save her sister.
Perhaps the truly shocking part of this poem is that Lizzie is able to save Laura. Often these narratives end with the "wicked" woman going insane or dying, despite effort made to 'save' her.
For anyone interesting, Laini Taylor has a book called "Lips Touch Three Times," and the first of the three novellas is a re-telling of Rossetti's poem.
Show More
It is, of course, a narrative of self denial and self sacrifice. But it is also a story about the strength of the relationship between two women, not one of competition, or destruction, but one of love and solidarity in a hard world. Perhaps the truly shocking part of this poem is that Lizzie is able to save Laura. Often these narratives end with the "wicked" woman going insane or dying, despite effort made to 'save' her.
For anyone interesting, Laini Taylor has a book called "Lips Touch Three Times," and the first of the three novellas is a re-telling of Rossetti's poem.
Show Less
LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
Another classic that I hadn't read for many, many years. While generally I appreciate authors who are loath to have their work read as allegory, this is too clear to be denied. The message I get out of this? "While men may be very tempting, it's generally safer to have sex with other women before
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marriage (Although the men won't think much of that plan)." Show Less
LibraryThing member SashaM
The fairy-tale like title poem of 2 sisters, one of whom is tempted by the goblin market and eats their food, and the other sister who risks the same to save her life is beautiful.
LibraryThing member Whisper1
Christina Rossetti was the sister of Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Dante Rossetti was one of the first artists who began the Pre-Raphaelite artistic movement. Christina's Goblin Market was published in 1862. This is a tale of two sisters, one strong in character, the other prone to follow her
When they come upon the Goblins in the brookside rushes, both listen to the Goblins who call for the ladies to buy their fruit. In rhyming fashion, they tell of fresh, lushion, wild, rare and ripe fruit that is sweet to the tongue and sound to the eye.
Laura cannot resist the Goblin men and their luscious fruit. Depicted as ugly rat like men who crawl like a snail and are creatures who sound kind and full of love. As Laura becomes satiated with the juicy fruits, her sister Lizzie runs toward home.
Returning, Laura tells her sister she ate and ate her fill and longs to buy more. Now, she learns that she cannot live without the fruit of the goblins. When she appeared at death's door, brave Lizzie finds the goblins and though the temptation is near overwhelming, she does not yield to the hugs and kisses and lusciousness of their wares.
As the goblins now scratch, grunt and snarl, looking evil tore her clothes and squeezed the fruit against her. When she arrived home, telling Laura to partake of the juice f the fruit so that she may be saved, Laura is healed.
This tale is explained in Victorian time when women were to be exceedingly chase. Thus, by partaking of the fruit and the Goblins, Laura is no longer pure. In the end, she is not saved by men, but by a woman -- her sister.
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desires.When they come upon the Goblins in the brookside rushes, both listen to the Goblins who call for the ladies to buy their fruit. In rhyming fashion, they tell of fresh, lushion, wild, rare and ripe fruit that is sweet to the tongue and sound to the eye.
Laura cannot resist the Goblin men and their luscious fruit. Depicted as ugly rat like men who crawl like a snail and are creatures who sound kind and full of love. As Laura becomes satiated with the juicy fruits, her sister Lizzie runs toward home.
Returning, Laura tells her sister she ate and ate her fill and longs to buy more. Now, she learns that she cannot live without the fruit of the goblins. When she appeared at death's door, brave Lizzie finds the goblins and though the temptation is near overwhelming, she does not yield to the hugs and kisses and lusciousness of their wares.
As the goblins now scratch, grunt and snarl, looking evil tore her clothes and squeezed the fruit against her. When she arrived home, telling Laura to partake of the juice f the fruit so that she may be saved, Laura is healed.
This tale is explained in Victorian time when women were to be exceedingly chase. Thus, by partaking of the fruit and the Goblins, Laura is no longer pure. In the end, she is not saved by men, but by a woman -- her sister.
Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Chesley Award (Nominee — 2018)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1862
ISBN
0245598847 / 9780245598845
Local notes
Illustrations from the pen and brush of Arthur Rackham coupled to the haunting verse of Christina Rossetti. The poem is about Goblin Market is about two close sisters, Laura and Lizzie, and is a cautionary tale of the dangers of partaking of the goblin men's fruits, and the power of sisterly love. 4 colour plates and b&w ink drawings.
Other editions
Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti (Hardcover)
Goblin Market: An Illustrated Poem by Christina Rossetti (Hardcover)
Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti (Hardcover)
Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti (Hardcover)