A View of Christ Through “Goblin Market”

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Many authors add personal beliefs and feelings to their literature in order to add depth and allow the reader to understand them in a more intimate way. Christina Rossetti was no different. She added her religious beliefs. Her beliefs were an important piece of her life. Christina Rossetti’s poem “Goblin Market” is an autobiographical view that represents her religious beliefs. She added her religious views to her work in order to strengthen her poem and to allow her reader to understand her. Her beliefs come from a shared religious experience with her mother. These religious experiences stem from Judeo-Christian origins. Looking at the past of Rossetti with an analytical view of her poem will help to fully understand the depth at which Rossetti wrote her poem. Her choice of imagery, selection of vocabulary and her main theme all originate from her faith and her dedication to it. Christina Rossetti had great Christian influence which comes from her regular attendances of church. Deborah Dooley analyzes the influences on Rossetti's which drove her to write “Goblin Market” in which she states: “Christina Rossetti was a deeply devout member of the Anglican faith. Christina and her mother were members of Christ Church near their home.” The Anglican faith stems from the Judeo-Christian faith. That reference allows the reader to begin to understand her religious beliefs. The careful word choice “devout” clearly suggests the strength of her beliefs. Dooley continues her analytical look into Rossetti's past to understand her motivation: “it is generally argued that Rossetti refused two marriages on the grounds that her suitors were not sufficiently 'religious' in Christina's definition of that term within the Anglican tradition.” This ... ... middle of paper ... ...e and her association with her church gave her the resources to do so. The connections added strength and depth which propelled her story to become a classic throughout time. Works Cited Dooley, Deborah A. "Christina Rossetti's "Goblin Market." Literary Contexts In Poetry: Christina Rossetti's 'Goblin Market' (2006): 1-8. Literary Reference Center. Web. 4 Dec. 2011. Humphries, Simon. "The Uncertainty Of Goblin Market." Victorian Poetry 45.4 (2007): 391-413. Literary Reference Center. Web. 2 Dec. 2011. Holmes, John R. "Christina Rossetti." Magill’s Survey Of World Literature, Revised Edition (2009): 1-5. Literary Reference Center. Web. 4 Dec. 2011. Rossetti, Christina. “Goblin Market” Goblin market: and other poems. Cambridge: Salt, 2009. The NIV, KJV parallel Bible: King James Version, New International Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1996.

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