Goblin Market, The Prince’s Progress and Other Poems

Before W.B. Yeats wrote of the mystical in his poetry, Christina Rossetti wrote Goblin Market, also the title poem within the collection Goblin Market, The Prince’s Progress and Other Poems. The title poem is about two sisters, and the lesson learned when one does not heed the warning to mingle with those at the Goblin Market.

Rossetti’s collection blurred the lines between reality and imagination. Within this collection, Rossetti also has devotional poems, influenced by Rossetti’s religious background. The poem Sweet Death focuses on the church and the beauty between life and death.

Christina Rossetti’s poetry reflects the Pre-Raphaelite Period in the arts, which was started by her brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti and a handful of poets and artists, a style and movement that featured romantic poetry, ekphrastic pieces, and intense imagery.

Within Goblin Market, The Prince’s Progress and Other Poems includes a group of pastoral poems that capture and focus on the beauty of nature. For example The Lambs of Grasmere, 1860 feature the hardships of being a shepherd in 1860 and overcoming the potential loss of his herd. With beautiful imagery, Rossetti creates a sense of empathy with the reader and also gives a glimpse of her life and view of the world.

This collection brings to life the mystical world with themes of religion, love, and mystical wonder which tie together the message and beauty of Christina Rossetti’s poetry. This edition contains a foreword by award-winning author Fran Wilde.

Student editor: Victoria Lane

Goblin Market, The Prince’s Progress and Other Poems was reissued on July 11, 2023.