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Christina rosetti selected poems annotations
Christina Rossetti – Poetry
Contents:
Goblin Market – Pages 2-3
Cousin Kate – Pages 4-5
Jessie Cameron – Pages 6-7
Maude Clare – Pages 8-9
Winter: My Secret – Pages 10-11

Goblin Market
Two sisters: Laura + Lizzie- seduced by goblins – mainly Laura
AO2
Form + Structure: Christian allegory of temptation, fall, and Redemption. Rossetti does this to challenge the decidedly patriarchal perception of norms within Victorian culture in terms of sexuality to reconstruct the Christian idea of redemption.
Written in loose iambic pentameters, the rising metre often speeds up the pace of the poem. By composing an epic poem, Rossetti emphasises the fast pace of the storey she is telling and the passion it involves.
Irregular rhyme scheme – ABAB couplets.
Language:
The poems’ erotic and sexual nature is supported by the language of the poem. The nature of the fruit is extensively detailed and described as luscious and succulent.
The list of fruits – organic and “ripe”
“Sweet to tongue and sound to eye” – appeals to the readers senses, however threatening under tones prevail; there is an unknown element present.
“Come buy” – the monosyllabic words are abrupt, bold, dramatic and perhaps arguably forceful. The repletion conveys their persistence to entrap the “maids”
“Crouching close ... cooling ... clasping” – the alliteration of the hard ‘C’ creates an element of danger.
Goblin men are likened to a “tramp” – the verb confirms a lack of grace, Rossetti conveys the ugliness that the goblins try to mask their ugliness with the mesmerising fruit, however their demonic demeanour springs out.
The fact that “Laura chose to linger”, gives a sense of foreboding to Laura’s allegorical fall.
Numerous references to feral animals show their predatory nature –“rat”, “snail”, “wombat” and “ratel”.
“fresh...full and fine” – alliteration, made to be more appealing, forceful nature of goblins.
“whispered like the restless brook” – simile

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