Sexual Connotations In Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market

Christina Rossetti’s ‘Goblin Market’ written in 1859 tells the tale of two sisters Laura and Lizzie and the consequences they face after eating the fruit from the goblin men. The poem explores many different themes such as childhood, religion and fairy-tale through imagery and verbs. One of the major themes explored is female sexuality and the relationship between women in Victorian society. It can be argued that the sexual connotations in this poem are subversive, as people in Victorian society did not like to talk about sexuality openly. Sexuality was regarded as something private and only discussed within the family.

The first exchange between the two sisters after Lizzie comes from the market, Laura cries “‘did you miss me? Come and kiss

me. Never mind my bruises, Hug me, kiss me, suck my juices…eat me, drink me, love me.” The phrase “eat me, drink me” can be interpreted to be religious as Christian’s eat bread, which signifies the body of Christ and drink wine, which represents his blood. Here in the same way it is like Lizzie is a Christ figure trying to redeem her sister from the evil actions of the goblin men. Marylu Hill claims “Goblin Market turns from the fact of hunger to the question of what food will truly satisfy us, and with this turn the poem directly invokes the Eucharist as both sacrifice and as a regenerative antidote to the poison of misplaced desire.” There seems to be some sexual tension between the sisters in this exchange, as their embrace seems overly affectionate as Lizzie is allowing Laura to shower her with a lot of unrestrained affection. By using the language of eating and hunger Rossetti seems to be exploring sexuality in a subversive way as the juice could be satisfying Laura’s sexual desires. It can also be depicted as being erotic as Laura is sexually advancing towards Lizzie in a very forward manner, which is not normal between a sister relationship. The use of the inverted rhyme scheme of AABBCC in these lines quickens the pace of the poem adding to the over affectionate embrace between the two sisters. As the saviour in this poem is a female and not a male it adds to the relationship between the sisters as being erotic.
Furthermore, the verb “sucked” is the most repeated verb in the poem, which is a loaded and charged verb.

Here “suck” can be seen as an erotic verb as it is related to the mouth and taste thus sounding very sexual. It suggests a sense of lack of control between the sisters to control their emotions, as Laura sucks the juices of Lizzie’s body. In the Victorian period “suck” was seen as a sexual word and there was anxiety about the way that it was used. Victorians thought that it related to children eating fruit so it was not used in public. Also represented when Laura takes the fruit from the goblin men “she sucked and sucked and sucked the more fruits.” The sibilance in the “sucked” adds to the act of sucking the juices from the fruit. Suggesting the idea that Laura has lost her virginity as she loses youth. This is very provocative, as it seems like she has lost control and is over powered by sex, she cannot control her emotions and desires, emphasised by the use of repetition. This is additionally suggested by Ellen Moers who conveys the idea that ““Suck” is the central verb of Goblin Market; sucking with mixed lust and pain is, among the poem’s pre-Raphaelite profusion of colours and taste, the particular sensation carried to an extreme that must be called perverse. [She] is suggesting not that Goblin Market belongs to a history of pornography as a Victorian celebration of oral sex, but that Christina Rossetti wrote a poem…about the erotic life of children.” Hence, the

idea of the senses is important to the imagery of the poem, as there is a lot of intensity placed on the consumption of the fruit. Also how exotic fruits are used to heighten peoples senses so that they can get attracted to all the bright colours, which is very sensual. Adding to the way the relationship between the sisters can be seen as perverse the sucking of the juices is very bodily.
The repetition of “Kissed” in the lines when Laura “kissed and kissed and kissed [Lizzie]…she kissed and kissed her with a hungry mouth.” Christina Rossetti claimed that this poem has been written for children and that it is child friendly. To a child the act of kissing might seem normal, as it is just two sisters showing their love for each other. Children might not see this as eroticism but a safe sister relationship is portrayed here as children tend to think differently from adults. However, it also relates to sex and sexual passion as kissing is also related to the mouth and the lips. There appears to be a lot of passion between the sisters in this moment with the repetition, which can also be seen as aggressive. This makes the poem very fast paced creating a breathless feel when reading the poem. Furthermore the fact that Laura kisses Lizzie with a “hungry mouth” can be seen to incorporate a subversive exploration of sexuality as Rossetti again uses the language of eating and consumption. Indicating how Laura is driven by this sexual passion and that she cannot get over her sexual desires, which she is now conveying to her sister making the simple act of kissing sound very sensual and erotic. She is trying to satisfy herself after eating the fruit, which did not seem to be enough for her.
The fairy-tale end to the poem when Laura and Lizzie “both were wives with children of their own” seems to be giving a warning to their children. They talk about “the haunted glen, The wicked, quaint fruit-merchant men, their fruits like honey to the throat But poison in the blood…would tell them how her sister stood in deadly peril to do her good” Representing the idea that there are consequences of pursuing lust and the need to explore human desire and sexuality. As it is like a fairy tale ending the women fall back into their expected roles, as they become mothers and wives. The fact that there is no rhyme in “their fruits like honey to the throat But poison in the blood” is quite jarring and moves away from that fast paced rhythm when the sisters are together. It could be suggestive of how a woman exploring their sexuality is a negative idea. Even if they have desires they should not purse them, as they will end up like the women in the poem marked forever by their acts. No husbands and sons are mentioned which is quite significant and the relationship between the sisters can be questioned. Sandra Gilbert argues, “Rossetti does, then, seem to be dreamily positing an effectively matrilineal and matriarchal world, perhaps even, considering the strikingly sexual redemption scene between the sisters, a covertly (if ambivalently) lesbian world.” As the sisters live in Victorian society Laura cannot go back to the pure state she was in, as she has taken the fruit from the goblin men, hence she has lost her purity and her virginity.
In conclusion it can be argued that Rossetti presents a poem that explores female sexuality in the Victorian period in a subversive manner.

Through the use of the fairy-tale market and the exotic fruit Rossetti presents how sexuality is something attractive and desired by women. Linda H. Peterson states “Rossetti claimed that she did not intend ‘Goblin Market’ as an allegory, but it has been difficult for readers not to allegorize the poem…it can be read as a tale of female erotic desire, with…Laura and Lizzie’s embrace as same-sex desire.” Women’s sexuality was not something that was explored in the Victorian period by Rossetti presenting this poem even if it is exploring sexuality in a subversive manner she is trying to bring importance to

Women.