Goblin Market and Other Poems

Goblin Market and Other Poems is a collection of poetic tales by Victorian poet Christina Rossetti. It was her first published work and it received critical acclaim. The poem “Goblin Market” is a story about two sisters, Laura and Lizzie, who live alone near a market that is run by goblins. Each night, the goblins call out to the girls to try their wares, but the girls are wary of their offers. One night, Laura cannot resist temptation, and she gorges herself on the sweet fruits at the goblin market. When she arrives back home, Laura dreams about the fruit, but she can no longer see or hear the goblins. She begins to wither away, and Lizzie sees that her sister needs to eat. Lizzie walks to the market, but the goblins attack her when they realize that she is not purchasing the fruits for herself. They try to force feed their goods to Lizzie, but they ultimately give up. Lizzie goes home and nourishes Laura back to health, and both girls are able to live to warn their own daughters about the dangers of the goblin market. Children and adults alike will enjoy this and other poems in this classic collection.