Goblin Market

In this activity, students analyze the themes of “Goblin Market” as a response to historical or social context; students will then make connections to the present and reimagine “Goblin Market” as a 21st-century creation.

Pieces of literature are often informed by the time period in which they were created, and in some ways respond to concerns or trends of that time. Consider the time period in which “Goblin Market” was written and connect the poem’s themes to the era’s relevant issues like industrialization, xenophobia, treatment of women, or didacticism and the Victorian concept of childhood. With a partner or small group, discuss how “Goblin Market” might respond to these topics.After your discussion, further discuss how these topics relate to the present day. How is our present society similar to or different from the Victorian England you learned about?

Using the connections you make to the present day, imagine what “Goblin Market” would look like if it were written today. How would that change the way in which the poem approaches its themes of temptation, redemption, choice, and sisterhood? What things do we in the 21st century associate with the fantastical and temptation? Could these things also symbolize what the goblins and their fruit represent in the poem?