Comparing Goblin Market, Countee Cullen's Incident And Barbie Doll

Artists, and more precisely poets, are often inspired by the various stages of the human life. For instance, Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market,” Countee Cullen’s “Incident” and Marge Piercy’s “Barbie Doll” are all poems dealing with the transition from childhood to adulthood. Numerous poets in history have done the exact same thing, often discussing the influence of humans on their own fall from innocence to experience. The poem “Goblin Market” is interesting in its way of introducing man’s free will to the question of the loss of innocence. In order to do so, Rossetti employs a language rich in allusions. Most of them have a Judeo-Christian origin. For example, a reader who is accustomed with the story of the Garden of Eden can easily see the parallel between the two sisters, Lizzie and Laura, and Adam and

For instance, the fruits that are sold by the goblins to the young women are a clear allusion to the forbidden fruit. They are mentioned as soon as the third line when the goblins cry, “Come buy our orchard fruits, / Come buy, come buy” (3-4). This allusion is then recurrent throughout the poem. The goblins act as the snake does in the Garden of Eden for they are all trying to tempt the humans with their exotic fruits. After hearing all those promises, Laura finally succumbs to the temptation, much like Eve does. The curiosity of these women is what brings both of them to bite the fruit and to lose their innocence. As for Lizzie, it can be argued that she presents some resemblances to Adam, but also some important differences. Like the man, she is influenced by the woman in her life to act against what she first stood for. Since the beginning of the poem, she was refusing to even listen or see the goblins. The main difference lies in her