Goblin Market Quotes

“Golden head by golden head,
Like two pigeons in one nest
Folded in each other's wings,
They lay down in their curtained bed:
Like two blossoms on one stem,
Like two flakes of new-fall'n snow,
Like two wands of ivory
Tipped with gold for awful kings.
Moon and stars gazed in at them,
Wind sang to them lullaby,
Lumbering owls forbore to fly,
Not a bat flapped to and fro
Round their rest:
Cheek to cheek and breast to breast
Locked together in one nest.”
― Christina Rossetti, Goblin Market: A Tale of Two Sisters

“For there is no friend like a sister In calm or stormy weather; To cheer one on the tedious way, To fetch one if one goes astray, To lift one if one totters down, To strengthen whilst one stands.”
― Christina Rossetti, Goblin Market: A Tale of Two Sisters

“Morning and evening
Maids heard the goblins cry:
'Come buy our orchard fruits,
Come buy, come buy”
― Christina Rossetti, Goblin Market: A Tale of Two Sisters

“Mirage"

The hope I dreamed of was a dream,
Was but a dream; and now I wake,
Exceeding comfortless, and worn, and old,
For a dream's sake.

I hang my harp upon a tree,
A weeping willow in a lake;
I hang my silent harp there, wrung and snapped
For a dream's sake.

Lie still, lie still, my breaking heart;
My silent heart, lie still and break:
Life, and the world, and mine own self, are changed
For a dream's sake.”
― Christina Rossetti, Goblin Market: A Tale of Two Sisters

“Lizzie, Lizzie, have you tasted

For my sake the fruit forbidden?

Must your light like mine be hidden,

Your young life like mine be wasted,

Undone in mine undoing,

And ruined in my ruin,

Thirsty, cankered, goblin-ridden?'—

She clung about her sister,

Kissed and kissed and kissed her:

Tears once again

Refreshed her shrunken eyes,

Dropping like rain

After long sultry drouth;

Shaking with aguish fear, and pain,

She kissed and kissed her with a hungry mouth.

Her lips began to scorch,

That juice was wormwood to her tongue,

She loathed the feast:

Writhing as one possessed she leaped and sung,

Rent all her robe, and wrung Her hands in lamentable haste...”
― Christina Rossetti, Goblin Market: A Tale of Two Sisters

“The stars rise, the moon bends her arc,
Each glowworm winks her spark”
― Christina Rossetti, Goblin Market: A Tale of Two Sisters

“Have done with sorrow I will bring you plums tomorrow.”
― Christina Rossetti, Goblin Market: A Tale of Two Sisters

“Come buy, come buy”
― Christina Rossetti, Goblin Market: A Tale of Two Sisters