Goblin Market Analysis

Christina Rossetti’s poem “"Goblin Market"” is a piece of literature that caters to multiple audiences. From the poem’s formatting and the way Rossetti wrote the poem, it has strong similarities to a children’s poem and although Rossetti has said that the poem is indeed intended for a young audience, the dark content and underlying themes of this poem hint that this piece of literature is also meant to be consumed for adults in an easily digestible format. "Goblin Market" presents an overall darker perspective on childhood, demonstrating that childhood has two sides: the innocent side that it is most commonly associated with, and a dark, uncivilized side of it. Although "Goblin Market" unifies these two contrasting sides of childhood through the plot of the poem tied in with the nursery-rhyme style writing of the poem, "Goblin Market" ultimately demonstrates that the the amoral and moral notions of youth are separate aspects and that one can not begin dwelling in the immoral aspects of youth without having to leave behind the moral aspects of a youthful life. The content of the poem shows that while a child will inevitably experience his loss of innocence in his youth, it is his choice when he chooses to give in to society’s temptations. "Goblin Market" shows this through a shift in tone and descriptions in the second part of the poem, through the characterizations of Lizzie and Laura throughout the poem, and through the moods created by the descriptions of characters and