Illustration for the cover of Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market and Other Poems (1862), by her brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti ( Source ) Goblin Market is the titular poem of Christina Rossetti's acclaimed collection which was first printed in 1862 when she was aged 31. It is ostensibly about two sisters' misadventures with goblins, critics have interpreted the piece in a variety of ways, seeing it as an allegory about temptation and salvation, a commentary on Victorian gender roles and female agency, and a work about erotic desire and social redemption. Personally, I find it an intriguing poetical fairy tale, moralising on the bonds of sisterhood. Read on and decide for yourself! Reading time: 13 minutes Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti Morning and evening Maids heard the goblins cry: 'Come buy our orchard fruits, Come buy, come buy: Apples and quinces, Lemons and oranges, Plump unpecked cherries, Melons and raspberries, Bloom-down-cheeked peac...