Christina Rossetti's “Goblin Market” reads like a classic Disney movie: the ending is happy, the characters are boisterous and generic, and above all, there is adult humor abound. This poem is not for the dirty-minded. Not even 150 lines in, an innocent Laura trades a lock of her golden blonde hair for the “fruit” of these mischievous goblins, produce which she proceeds to suck dry (and quite enjoy, might I add):
Then sucked their fruit globes fair or red:
Sweeter than honey from the rock.
Stronger than man-rejoicing wine,
Clearer than water flowed that juice;
She had never tasted such before,
How should it cloy with length of use?
She sucked and sucked and sucked the more...
All overtly sexual connotations aside, “Goblin Market” is a well written poem for both children and adults. While the young ones may enjoy the sumptuous descriptions of cute little girls, goblins, and delicious food, we adults are left to appreciate the subversive—or not so—humor of the Victorian age.
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I have to beg to differ on your assertion that the poem reads like a classic Disney movie. Whereas Disney films are known to have inserted slightly adult humor into otherwise inoccuous fairy tales; "Goblin Market" inserts a moral and a message under the guise of a grotesque and vulgar poem. Although it is possible to read the poem as an allegory against sinful acts, or alternately as a sort of proto-feminism I think the poem is more a reflection on Victorian values. I think Rosetti's poem shows that she believes there is redemption for 'fallen women' and that this redemption comes from sisterhood.
ReplyDeleteI propose reading "Goblin Market" as a sort of feminine version of "Water Babies." Just as Kingsley wrote his book for all good little boys it is possible Rosetti wrote her poem for all good little girls. Or perhaps not-so-good little girls.
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ReplyDeleteI have to beg to differ on your assertion that the poem reads like a classic Disney movie. Whereas Disney films are known to have inserted slightly adult humor into otherwise inoccuous fairy tales; "Goblin Market" inserts a moral and a message under the guise of a grotesque and vulgar poem. Although it is possible to read the poem as an allegory against sinful acts, or alternately as a sort of proto-feminism I think the poem is more a reflection on Victorian values. I think Rosetti's poem shows that she believes there is redemption for 'fallen women' and that this redemption comes from sisterhood.
I propose reading "Goblin Market" as a sort of feminine version of "Water Babies." Just as Kingsley wrote his book for all good little boys it is possible Rosetti wrote her poem for all good little girls. Or perhaps not-so-good little girls.
Jeffrey, I like how you suggest that Goblin Market is for not-so-good little girls, while Kinglsey's Water Babies is for the good little boys. It would also explain why we read Water Babies before reading this poem.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, however, Rosetti wanted to instill some hope into these fallen women, who suffered from either addiction or sexual abuse. Water Babies just seemed to brain wash kids into being good.
I'm having trouble seeing the humor in Rossetti's poem; and, if there is humor, what exactly is it subverting? In the poem goblin drug-dealers succeed in ruining one woman and getting her hooked on "fruit," while they rape, or at least attempt to rape, another. Though in the end everything turns out all right, I'm not sure how any of that is humorous. Though I understand how our 21st century minds can find humor in the sexually charged material, Im not sure if the poem is meant to be humorous.
ReplyDeleteIt may be, however, that I have a bad sense of humor and I'm missing something obvious. If that's the case, what institution is the humor seeking to undermind? You speak of the "subversive humor," but it's not clear to me what Rosetti is seeking to subvert? Is the patriarchal society her target ?