Random Goblin Market Thoughts

Throughout "Goblin Market" one of the aspects I found the most striking is the playful air of the format and its similarity to the structure of a nursery rhyme or a fairy tale. The fact that it has this shared format makes the poem exceptionally striking, as one can undoubtedly say it is a poem that is not meant for children, as it reflects upon topics that would be incomprehendible to them. Rossetti might have used this format to speak lengths about conflicts such as sexuality, inequality and sexual violence and how these are often a part of a woman's struggle, though as children you are shielded from hearing about the realities of such horrible truths.

At the end of the poem, we learn that both women have been married but their husbands do not have a role in the text. They are not described in any way. We learn that Laura and Lizzie's relationship is the most important one in each of their lives along with each of their children -- and their feelings of obligation to worn them about the dangers of the goblins. While the relationship is ultimately erotic, as are the calls of the goblins, Laura and Lizzie's eroticism stretches far beyond purely sexual connotation. They seem emotionally close and devoted to one another and seem to miss the past during which they were able to enjoy their time together.

"Laura would call the little ones
And tell them of her early prime,
Those pleasant days long gone
Of not-returning time"

Rosetti could be commenting on the gender roles of the time, where women were expected to live up to a standard -- marrying a man, making babies with him and tending their home. Even after this standard was reached, nostalgia still set in. After fitting into the perfect idea of what a grown woman should be doing with her life, the times during which different decisions could have been made are no longer there; the chance lost.