Christina Rossetti was born in London on December 5, 1930. She is regarded by many as “one of the most important women poets in writing” in England during the nineteenth-century (Everett). Rossetti’s best known for writing a collection of pieces known as Goblin Market and Other Poems that was published in 1862 (Christina Rossetti). Many have argued that her most notable poem of the collection, “Goblin Market,” has a strong biblical undertone. By analyzing the characters and symbolisms of “Goblin market” against their biblical counterparts, we will attempt to find the stories true message.
When looking into the characters of Rossetti’s “Goblin Market,” it becomes clear that they represent different aspects of religious texts and scriptures. On one hand, we have Laura who represents the innocence of mankind and its battle to resist temptation. On one other hand, we have Lizzie who plays the role of Laura’s sister and savior; much in the way Jesus Christ is considered the brother and savior of mankind. These two characters help set the stage for the religious text that is present throughout the story.
When reading the story it becomes clear that Laura represents mankind and its struggle to overcome temptation. When Lizzie “thrust a dimpled finger / In each ear, shut eyes and run,” Laura decided “to linger,” which represents how vulnerable mankind truly is when they are tempted with worldly desires (Rossetti, 67-69). Additionally, Laura finally succumbed to temptation and enjoyed the goblins offering and:
She sucked until her lips were sore;
Then flung the emptied rinds away
But gathered up one kernel-stone,
And knew not was it night or day
As she turned home alone. (Rossetti,136-139)
After partaking in the goblins wares, Laura fin...
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...evotion to her fellow sister. This same audience may be unaware that the Bible teaches to “love thy neighbor as thyself” (Mark 12:31). That is the true message of “Goblin Market.”
Works Cited
"Christina Rossetti." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013
1 Corinthians. King James. King James Bible Online, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
Everett, Glenn. "The Life of Christina Rossetti." Victorian Web. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov.
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Genesis. King James. King James Bible Online, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
John. King James. King James Bible Online, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
Mark. King James. King James Bible Online, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
Matthew. King James. King James Bible Online, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
Rossetti, Christina. "Goblin Market." Goblin Market and Other Poems. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. PoetryFoundation.org. Poetry Foundation. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
Anne Bradstreet’s inability to perfect her work before it was released frustrated her to the point where she internalizes the book’s imperfections as a reflection of herself. Bradstreet uses an extended metaphor of a mother and a child to compare the relationship between herself as the author and her book. Rather than investing her spirit in God, she repeatedly focuses on trying to improve the quality of her writing with no success, “I washed thy face, but more defects I saw” (Bradstreet 13). Like a mother protecting her child, Bradstreet’s attempts to prevent critics from negatively analyzing her work of art (20). Her continuous obsession about people’s opinions consumed in the Earthly world and essentially distracted her from developing a spiritual relationship with God. Bradstreet was enveloped by her dissatisfaction with her to the point of ridiculing herself, “Thou ill-formed offspring of my feeble mind” (1). It was obvious that her mind and spiritual
... life and goes back to these girls who turned on her in an instant. Others even confess to witchcraft because, once accused, it is the only way to get out of being hanged. The confessions and the hangings actually promote the trials because they assure townsfolk that God?s work is being done. Fear for their own lives and for the lives of their loved ones drives the townspeople to say and do anything.
2. Wright, James. "Saint Judas." Approaching Poetry, Perspectives and Responses. Ed. Meg Spilleth. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 1997. 70.
Of the two sisters Lizzie and Laura, Laura is the one whose curious desires get the best of her. She and her sister encounter the goblin men and Lizzie just “thrust a dimpled finger / In each ear, shut her eyes and ran” (67 – 68); however, Laura’s curiosity gets the best of her and she chooses to stay: “Curious Laura chose to linger / Wondering at each merchant man” (69 – 70). These goblin men are selling fruit, and once Laura gets her hands on it, she is hardly able to stop herself. Quenching her desire is overwhelming for her, so much so that when she is finally done she “knew not was it night or day” (139). When she arrives home later, she tells her sister, “I ate and ate my fill, / Yet my mouth waters still; / Tomorrow night I ...
...re cautious look at "Goblin Market" shows that the poetry is pretty complicated, and able to back up a more innovative studying than the ones put forth above. Rather than saying that "Goblin Market" has a particular concept, I would put forth the idea that it efforts to cope with certain issues Rossetti identified within the cannon of British literary works, and particularly with the issue of how to create a women idol.
Fong, Bobby. College Literature. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Vol. 17 of Roethke's `My Papa's Waltz'. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Dec. 2013. .
Theodore Roethke manipulates our emotions in this poem using literary convention. A Waltz is a lighthearted, easily accessible dance. In a waltz, a couple sways back and forth as they go in a circle. Our emotions of this poem seem to follow this same path as we can see comforting and frightening images at the same time in this poem making us go in circles on whether this poem is about a boy dancing with his father, or a boy fighting his father. An example of this “waltz” we have in this poem is in the first stanza as we get the frightening image of “The whiskey on your breath could make a small boy dizzy” (Line 1-2). Then he follows with “we romped,” thus undercutting the serious tone that we are given from the first stanza; however, the romping is giving seriousness immediately when the pans slide from the kitchen shelves and “The mother’s countenance could not unfrown itself.” Another part that can be taken in either a positive or a negative reading is when the poem reads, “The hand that held my wrist was battered on one knuckle.” This can mean that his father was a hardworking man whose hands are altered from working long hours as a grafter, or this could mean that his hand was battered because it is the same hand being used to beat him. This gives us yet another spin on our emo...
The tone of a poem can only by recognized when reading carefully and paying close attention to the words and what they might suggest. The rhyme scheme of My Papa’s Waltz is extremely relevant to the poem. For example, in the first stanza dizzy and easy create the rollicking rhythm, as does the following stanza’s with the same pattern. The structure of words create an almost "waltz" like melody. The phrase " we romped until the pans / Slid from the kitchen shelf" and " waltzed me off to bed" (Roethke 5-6, 15), convey a pleasant atmosphere to the reader. The title itself creates an affectionate attitude with the connection of Papa and waltz. The choice of words and details are used systematically to produce thoughts to the reader of happiness and affection, thus, establishing the tone of this poem.
Theodore Roethke's poem “My Papa's Waltz” is a unique American poem which is written in iambic trimeter. The poem captures the sometimes intense relationship between father and son. Roethke's own father, a German immigrant, died when he was still a teenager. His father was a major inspiration in his life and images from his childhood appear throughout his poetry. A biographer, Matt Forster comments that “His poems are often explorations of his own psyche, using imagery from his childhood to describe his interior life (Forster 2005).” He became one of the best known American poets by the end of his lifetime in 1963. In the famous poem “My Papa's Waltz” the author uses musicality and deep psychologically-rooted themes to create a poem that is unforgettable and alive with action. The poem is composed in iambic trimeter which parallels the 1, 2, 3 tempo of a waltz. This feature helps in creating the illusion of musicality and dancing as is suggested in the poem's title. Thematically the poem comments on the oedipal complex, the intimate relationship between father and son, loss, memory and music.
Although the dance between him and his father was rough and aggressive, the very fact that Roethke chose to write about the waltz indicates that it is a special moment he remembers sharing with his father. The poet has a remarkable ability to describe the moment and not his feelings. This is what makes "My Papa's Waltz" so interesting and leaves so much to interpretation.
When he asks what she gives it to him for, she replies, “A—souvenir.” Then she hands it to him, almost as if to show him that he had shattered her unique beauty. This incident changed her in the way that a piece of her innocence that made her so different is now gone. She is still beautiful and fragile like the menagerie, but just as she gives a piece of her collection to Jim, she also gives him a piece of her heart that she would never be able to regain. Laura and her menagerie are both at risk of being crushed when exposed to the uncaring reality of the world.
Art Spiegelman's Maus II is a book that tells more than the story of one family's struggle to live thought the Holocaust. It gives us a look into the psyche of a survivor's child and how the Holocaust affected him and many other generations of people who were never there at all. Maus II gives the reader a peek into the psyche of Art Spiegelman and the affects of having two parents that survived the Holocaust had on him. Spiegelman demonstrates the affects of being a survivor's child in many ways throughout the book. Examining some of these will give us a better understanding of what it was like to be a part of the Holocaust.
Rossetti, Christina. “Goblin Market.” The Longman Anthology of British Literature: Vol. 2B. Ed. David Damrosch, et al. New York: Longman, 1999. 1712-1724.
In the book, the main conflict derives from the fact that the society is incredibly strict and loyal to their faith; not allowing people to dance, sing, or even read books. In the beginning of the book, we find that Abigail and her friends went against many of these laws by dancing in the woods and “Trying to summon the Devil”. They get caught, and in order to protect themselves from punishment, the create a story about seeing numerous people's spirits with the Devil, and that they wish to “give” themselves to God. The townsfolk believe this as they really have no reason not to, because to them, doubting the girls would be like doubting their faith. The townsfolk show their extreme loyalty to their faith by blindly believing the girls' story to be true, this would not be inherently bad – If it weren't for the numerous people that died.
"Open Book Newsletter No. 1: The Bible and Western Literature by Peter J. Leithart January, 1991." Biblical Horizons » No. 1: The Bible and Western Literature. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2014.