Discuss the Claim That in Rossetti’s Poem What Is Not Said Is as Important as What Is Said?

1804 Words8 Pages
Goblin market has been interpreted by many, it has been described as being a sexual poem about sexual desires, and however others have said the poem is a moral allegory of temptation without any religious ideology. The poem begins with what can be interpreted as the opening times of the goblin market; it then goes to mention maids who can hear the goblin’s cry. Who are these maids? And why can they only hear the calling of the goblin men? It can be interpreted as the maids being unmarried and married women who the goblin men are trying to lure to the goblin market. The repetition of the phrase “come buy, come buy” (line 4) can also be a cry of temptation made by the goblin men. The use of rhyming couplets can also be seen as cry of temptation by the goblin men, it’s almost like their saying listen to what I have to offer you know you want to come down. There is also the use of personification which can be seen as another cry of temptation or is there another hidden meaning behind it? For example the personification used is “sweet to the tongue and sound to the eye” (line 29) the use of the phrase “sound to the eye” could that actually mean it just looks healthy but actually rotten from the inside. In stanza two we are introduced to Laura and Lizzie, it is not clear whether they are sisters or friends. Laura bow’s her head and Lizzie starts to blush, what happened that made these two react in which a way? Could it be the calling of the goblins? Was Laura bowing her head to hear the goblins cry more clearly? Or was she bowing her head in embarrassment from hearing them? Both the girls then hold onto to each other. Is this to stop them giving into the call of the goblins? Both girls then have “tingling cheeks and finger tips” (line 39) is this because they want to give into the call, is the call of goblins making them uncomfortable which is causing the

More about Discuss the Claim That in Rossetti’s Poem What Is Not Said Is as Important as What Is Said?

Open Document