Christina Rosetti (1830-1894)

Goblin Market


Characters:

• Laura and Lizzie

Summary:

• deals with ambiguous nature of female role in Victorian society
• highly allusive to Biblical imagery
• Laura and Lizzie hear the goblins hawk their merchandise of exotic fruit each day
• Laura is tempted by the fruit whereas Lizzie warns her and runs from the goblins with her ears covered in order to avoid hearing their voices
• Laura purchases fruit from the goblins with a lock of her hair and eats a great deal. She eventually grows sick with longing for goblin-fruit until Lizzie takes pity on her and buys more fruit from them.
• The goblins discover Lizzie doesn't want to eat the fruit herself and try to persuade her to eat it, but she resists them and returns home with the juice of the fruits in her mouth and on her lips
• She allows Laura to kiss her and taste the juice but Laura finds the the juice burns like fire in her blood. 
• After a long night of sickness, Laura eventually recovers.

"Remember"

Remember me when I am gone away,
    Gone far away into the silent land;
    When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
    Remember me when no more day by day
    You tell me of our future that you planned:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
    And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
    For if the darkness and corruption leave
    A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
    Than that you should remember and be sad.