Goblin Market: The taste of forbidden fruit

First published in 1862, Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market is one of the most intriguing and enduring poems of the Victorian era. The narrative dances between the innocence of a fairy story and the depths of a cautionary parable, and is often interpreted as an allegory of temptation, sisterly love, or even economic exchange. Christina’s lush imagery and musical language have tempted many wonderful artists to explore these interpretations with fascinating results.

Christina was 31 when Goblin Market and Other Poems was released, making her the youngest sibling of the illustrious Rossetti family to debut in print. Her brother, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, was a prominent Pre-Raphaelite painter and poet, and he provided eerie and evocative illustrations for the first edition of her book, focusing on the poem’s themes of desire and danger. The poem itself was met with critical acclaim, earning praise from influential literary figures like Algernon Charles Swinburne, who hailed her as the greatest living female poet of the time.

The poem’s narrative follows two sisters, Laura and Lizzie, as they encounter a seductive market run by goblins hawking forbidden fruit. Lliterary scholars have speculated about its meaning for decades – was it a metaphor for sin and redemption, a critique of Victorian consumerism, or a veiled commentary on women’s agency and desire? Christina herself was contradictory about it – she stated publicly it was simply a piece written for children, but in a letter to her publisher she said it was not meant for children.

A devout Anglo-Catholic, Christina led a life of deep religious conviction and charity. She worked tirelessly with the St. Mary Magdalene Penitentiary in Highgate, a shelter for “fallen women,” which some suggest influenced her empathetic portrayal of female solidarity in Goblin Market. Despite her personal struggles with health and heartbreak (she was diagnosed in her 40s with Graves’ Disease, and later died of breast cancer; and she broke off both of her serious relationships due to religious principles), she maintained a prolific output, securing her legacy as one of the 19th century’s most influential poets.

Goblin Market also found an unexpected second life in the 20th century, becoming a feminist and queer icon. Its vivid descriptions of the goblins’ fruit and the sisters’ intense bond have been interpreted as subversive explorations of sexuality and liberation. The poem has inspired many painters and illustrators as well as operas and stage adaptations – I’ve included below a small gallery of additional images that aren’t included in the book list.