Painting by John Liston Byam Shaw (1872 - 1919).

Painting by John Liston Byam Shaw (1872 - 1919).

Goblin Market

This poem was written by English poet Christina Rosetti, published originally in a collection in 1862. Various interpretations of the work have been offered, sometimes framing it as an allegory about temptation and salvation, sometimes as a critique of Victorian gender roles, sometimes as a story about erotic desire and social redemption. The poem stands as one of Rosetti’s most popular and complex works.

Read by Sarah Lipton