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sydsnot71's review against another edition
3.0
Goblin Market and Other Poems was Christina Rossetti's first collection of poetry, published in 1862 (with a revised edition in 1876). This is, in my opinion, almost the perfect book for the MacMillan Collector's Library. The perfect poetry collection to stick in your pocket for those quiet moment when you're waiting in a queue or at a loose end generally.
The collection begins with her long poem Goblin Market. Goblin Market is an interesting read. With a 21st century mind it is easy to find erotic meaning in it, although I suspect Rossetti herself would deny this. But it is certainly an discomforting poem. I rather like it.
The rest of the collection is interesting, with one exception. The Jhansi poem, which is a rather melodramatic poem featuring two British people who are about to commit suicide rather than be massacred as part of the Indian Rebellion. It is based on a true event but it's far too Victorian for my tastes.
Rossetti's poems revolve around nature, death and God. I called her 'as Goth as f***' when talking to someone about this collection. I noted a line or two from almost every poem and you could put them together to make a collage poem of sublime bleakness. Or a Sisters of Mercy song. But what else can you make of a poet who includes the following line in a poem - "The comeliest corpse in all the world."
So, I suspect you'll find your enjoyment of this poetry will vary depending on how much tolerance you have for Victorian Gothic. Death haunts this collection, alongside hope. At least the hope of religion. Virginia Woolf, in The Common Reader: Second Series writes a short but superb essay about Rossetti's poetry that I recommend to your attention. It is called "I Am Christina Rossetti"
Rossetti was an instinctive poet not a slow builder of poems. You feel that what is on the page is what poured from mind to pen to paper. They are not quite as personal as Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnets from the Portuguese but the religious centre of Rossetti's life is there for all to see.
This makes it sound all very serious, which it often is but there's humour here to. There's one poem, which I have called 'The Friendzone Poem', which is actually called 'No Thank You John'. It's a woman responding to a man's attempts to get her to love him in an almost incel type fashion. It ends:
"Here's friendship for you if you like;
but love - No, thank you, John."
Personally - reading the poem - I'm not sure John deserves that kindness.
My favourite poems in the collection were Goblin Market, The Hour and the Ghost (a nice poem for Halloween I feel), Echo, A Peel of Bells, No Thank You John,. Sound Sleep, The Convent Threshold (which is a long poem but rather brilliant.), The Three Enemies and Consider the Lilies. But I enjoyed most of the collection once I slipped into Rossetti mode.
I feel this is a perfect collection for Autumn, even though other seasons feature amongst its poems. And having read this Kindle preview I shall try and get my grubby little protuberances on a hard copy.
The collection begins with her long poem Goblin Market. Goblin Market is an interesting read. With a 21st century mind it is easy to find erotic meaning in it, although I suspect Rossetti herself would deny this. But it is certainly an discomforting poem. I rather like it.
The rest of the collection is interesting, with one exception. The Jhansi poem, which is a rather melodramatic poem featuring two British people who are about to commit suicide rather than be massacred as part of the Indian Rebellion. It is based on a true event but it's far too Victorian for my tastes.
Rossetti's poems revolve around nature, death and God. I called her 'as Goth as f***' when talking to someone about this collection. I noted a line or two from almost every poem and you could put them together to make a collage poem of sublime bleakness. Or a Sisters of Mercy song. But what else can you make of a poet who includes the following line in a poem - "The comeliest corpse in all the world."
So, I suspect you'll find your enjoyment of this poetry will vary depending on how much tolerance you have for Victorian Gothic. Death haunts this collection, alongside hope. At least the hope of religion. Virginia Woolf, in The Common Reader: Second Series writes a short but superb essay about Rossetti's poetry that I recommend to your attention. It is called "I Am Christina Rossetti"
Rossetti was an instinctive poet not a slow builder of poems. You feel that what is on the page is what poured from mind to pen to paper. They are not quite as personal as Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnets from the Portuguese but the religious centre of Rossetti's life is there for all to see.
This makes it sound all very serious, which it often is but there's humour here to. There's one poem, which I have called 'The Friendzone Poem', which is actually called 'No Thank You John'. It's a woman responding to a man's attempts to get her to love him in an almost incel type fashion. It ends:
"Here's friendship for you if you like;
but love - No, thank you, John."
Personally - reading the poem - I'm not sure John deserves that kindness.
My favourite poems in the collection were Goblin Market, The Hour and the Ghost (a nice poem for Halloween I feel), Echo, A Peel of Bells, No Thank You John,. Sound Sleep, The Convent Threshold (which is a long poem but rather brilliant.), The Three Enemies and Consider the Lilies. But I enjoyed most of the collection once I slipped into Rossetti mode.
I feel this is a perfect collection for Autumn, even though other seasons feature amongst its poems. And having read this Kindle preview I shall try and get my grubby little protuberances on a hard copy.
coco_lolo's review against another edition
2.0
Liked "Goblin Market," could have done without most of the other poems.
ellastaps's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
kay_west_reads's review
5.0
This Victorian era poem originally intended as a fairytale speaks especially to girls and women with an intensity and physicality that feels like Christina Rossetti is whispering into your ear. Must read.
book_dragon88's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
readingwithsab's review against another edition
3.0
it might as well be the national anthem of cottagecore aesthetic
francesfincher's review
2.0
'We must not look at goblin men,
We must not buy their fruits:
Who knows upon what soil they fed
Their hungry thirsty roots?'
We must not buy their fruits:
Who knows upon what soil they fed
Their hungry thirsty roots?'