The first story in the poem is one that is read by the words alone. Its subject matter is up front and will be outlined first in the paper. However, the second story is deeper and must be read analytically using the physical objects and characters as symbols for religious imagery and theme.

In the first stanza the reader encounters the goblin’s cry, “Come buy our orchard fruits,/ come buy, come buy…” First of all, the reader must ask: “who are these goblins?”, “what is the cost to buy their fruits?” and “what fruits are they selling?”. Within the next stanza the reader meets Laura and Lizzie, two sisters wandering around in the evening watching goblin men. To be more precise, Laura is watching the goblins and Lizzie is hiding from them. These two young women are the main characters throughout Rossetti’s poem. The go

Laura’s curiosity may also be attributed to human nature. In many ways Laura is the reader; she spies on the goblin men and fulfills the readers curiosity of what these strange creatures are. Also Laura buys the fruit with her hair. This is symbolic for giving her soul to sin. When a person sins it is said that that sin is resting on their souls. Laura is a sinner and is symbolic of the reader and all of human nature.

When the reader is finally introduced to Laura and Lizzie it becomes apparent that Laura is more curious and outgoing than Lizzie. An example of this can be found when the two sisters are hiding from the goblins.

Covered close lest they should look;

uld hold on to life no longer, Lizzie went to the goblins to buy their forbidden fruit for Laura. After Lizzie bought the fruit and refused to eat it with the goblin men they taunted her and pressured her, pressed the fruit to her lips and let the juices drip onto her skin. She returned home and bid Laura kiss the juices from her face. Slowly throughout the night Lizzie helped Laura to recover from the poisoning of the goblins’ fruit. She recuperated and they both grew old together and never again did Laura wander down the path that led her to the goblin men.

Some topics in this essay:
Laura Lizzie, Lizzie Christ-like, Christina Rosssetti’s, Look…” Laura’s, Laura Communal, laura lizzie, , objects characters, stanza reader, forbidden fruit, human nature, goblins buy, goblins lizzie, goblin fruit, religious imagery, rossetti’s poem,