Rossetti: Rhyme Scheme and Poem Essay example

Submitted By lrb12
Words: 930
Pages: 4
Open Document
Temptation can be Deadly

One of the strongest emotions inherent in humans is desire. In “Goblin’s Market,” the desire to have the goblin’s fruit was too difficult for Laura to resist. The temptation to consume the forbidden fruits cost Laura to lose her normalcy and self-control. The tempting nature of this poem is brought about through the rhyme scheme, tone, diction, symbolism, and structure, which ultimately tricks the reader into thinking this piece of work is merely just a fairytale. Christina Rossetti, in her poem, “Goblin’s Market,” misleads the audience by switching between two distinct tones, innocent and dark, in order to depict the overall theme of temptation.
The rhyme scheme, short lines, and innocent tone in the beginning makes the reader believe that the poem is intended to be a fairytale with a happy plot. This quickly changes when the reader realizes that they are wrong and they have been tricked, just as Laura was deceived into buying the fruit. The lines in the beginning that are associated with the goblins are written in a rhythmic meter that causes them to have a sing-songy tone. This adds to the effect of incantation by which they attracted people, specifically girls, to buy their fruit. For example, the repetition of words ending in berries, such as “blackberries” and “strawberries,” and the enticing goblin chant, “come buy, come buy,” drew Laura’s attention and she was tempted into buying the forbidden fruit. Also all of the lines that end with a “berry” word have six syllables. This allows the goblin’s song to flow smoothly. Having a consistent syllable count can also make the poem sound sing-songy and tempting, which is exactly what the goblins were trying to accomplish. The repetition of the goblin’s deceiving chant, “come buy, come buy,” highlights their insistence and the force of the temptation that they offer. Compared to the rest of the setting. Rossetti also uses words such as “fire,” “earthquake,” and “lightning,” which add to the gloomy mood of the poem. These three words are considered to be horrible and possibly deadly forces of nature. Because of this word choice and the line “is it death or is it life,” it can be thought that while Laura was under the spell of the goblins, she was practically dead. Laura had no self-control over her desires and body during this time and she was depicted as a character that was very dark. Laura was finally brought to life again because of Lizzie when she was released from her spell. Rossetti uses imagery and similes such as, “like a caged thing freed” and “like a flying flag when armies run,” to demonstrate Laura’s freedom from the goblins. The uses of these similes create a positive image that ultimately changes the whole tone of the poem. When this happens, the tone and the setting is no longer gloomy and the reader feels a sense of joy knowing that Laura is back to her normal self.
“Goblin’s Market” is also full of symbolism that can be related back to the biblical story of Adam and Eve. The fruits are a temptation in which Laura is told by her sister Lizzie not to partake in because of the dire consequences. Much like Eve though, Laura chose not to listen and ate the forbidden fruit. Laura lost her beauty and liveliness due to this decision and Eve lost her perfect life. Lizzie is symbolic of Christ. She was not tempted by sin, teaches her sister what to do, and eventually saves her sister from her sins.
Show More

Related Documents: Rossetti: Rhyme Scheme and Poem Essay example

Rossetti poetry Essay

How does Rossetti use form, structure and language in the poem “Remember”? “Remember” is all about death. The poem is written in the second person and it is displaying a relationship between one person and another. Is the writer the one that wants to be remembered? Rossetti was only nineteen, and she lived with her dying father for many years. This may be interpreted as Rossetti using dramatic imagery in relation to her father’s death or can be said that it is the eventual death of any human…

Words 665 - Pages 3

Essay Goblin Market

Cathey Saha’s Edits First Paragraph Rossetti, with full freedom, draws upon a vast poetic range : the gentle folding of visual sense into the underlay of the poem , language laced with musicality , rhythms to match the momentum of the character’s emotions . The imagery of the wishlist of fruit fantasised by Laura; "Bright­fire­like barberries/ Figs to fill your mouth” triggers the sense of the abundance of nature, of the rich fruitfulness on offer and the appeal it has the girl of interest…

Words 452 - Pages 2

Hide & Seek Poem Comparison

Separation? Poets tend to form poems that mirror their lives and its circumstances in numerous ways. The subject of detachment and separation are present in many poems, however it is demonstrated distinctively in accordance to the backgrounds of the writing. Through analysing, I will show the differences and similar features in the poems "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" by John Keats, "Remember" by Christina Rossetti, and "Hide & Seek" by Vernon Scannel. These three poems will likewise be compared relation…

Words 2004 - Pages 9

English Lit 6 Poem Essay

‘Compare the treatment of love in some of the poems you have studied ’ Poem at Thirty-nine, My last Duchess, Remember, Anne Hathaway, Havisham On my first Sonne. Poets have written love poems for centuries with the first said to be around 1000BC. But what is love? It is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as ‘ to have attachment to and affection for’. However, after studying various love poems, I have found that love is portrayed in many different ways. It can be possessive, hateful…

Words 3355 - Pages 14