A Compare and Contrast Essay on the poems Goblin Market by Christina Georgina Rossetti and Porphyrias Lover by Robert Browning
Relationships exist in very different levels. People engage in different kinds of relationship in their daily lives. These relationships are all entanglements that we sometimes get stuck with. Such relationships include the relationships between friends, between siblings, parent and children, the individual and the society and many others. The context of these entanglements in the poem of Robert Browning in Porphyrias Lover, as with the poem Goblin Market, share a commonality in as much as these entanglements are also those that we sometimes seek far more than other less unorthodox or more socially accepted relationships. The choices that we make with how and who we choose to entangle ourselves with or have relationships with are our own choices, and as such, we can be said to get what we deserve, by choosing these relationships
The relationship that exists between the persona in Robert Brownings poem Porphyrisa lover can be viewed as unorthodox. From the start, we are seen how the woman came to the mans house even in such strange circumstances of a strong wind that toppled the tops of the trees and agitated the lakes. She came and braved the weather in order to have a tryst with the persona in the poem. It should also be noticed that such a behavior is frowned upon even in modern society. It is improper for a woman to be the one to go to a mans house. Such impropriety of behavior is also seen in the poem Goblin Market by Christina Georgina Rosetti. The sisterts Lizzie and Laura are among the goblin men and this is something very unusual for them to be doing. That is exactly why, at first they tried to shy away and did what they can to avoid the goblin men and ignore the very tempting wares they have to offer. In fact, at first, they tried to hide their faces and blocked their ears so they would not hear the goblins bargains for them to buy fruits and other trinkets from them.
This repression and suppression of the characters are also seen reflected in Brownings poem. There is this certain heaviness in the womans heart that she needed to unburden, thus necessitating a dangerous and perhaps scandalous travel towards the house of the personaPorphyria braving the rain and the wind. This suppressed feeling of love she has kept within her, only found release when shoe could no longer bear the heavy weight of it upon her chest. This feeling of love towards Porphyria, was suggested by the poem, as something seemingly very illicit and not approved by society. The same feeling of suppression and repression is also present in Rozsettis work in the Goblin Market. At first, Laura tried to conceal and control her emotions and heed her sisters warnings not buy anything from these goblin men. Later on, though, she was not able to resist such temptations, and thus gave in.
Both poems directly tell us that it is our own choice whom we want to entangle with and have relationships with, and even the most well meaning advice, admonitions and warnings. Still, Laura was not able to resist the goblin man, and then bought some fruits from them.
The liberating experience of being able to let go and let our own true emotions show, to finally release the pressure from such suppressed and repressed emotions could actually be a joy in itself. In Brownings poem, both the maiden and Porphyria sought and found release with their own burdens and suppressed and repressed emotions. However though, most often than not, this exercise of free choice will lead to feeling good and ecstatic, same as when Poryphirias lover was able to release her pent up emotions tin telling him how much she loves. The immediate tastes of these entanglements are usually sweet and are a very very fresh experience. When she was able to tell Porphyria, she was, for a sweet moment able to feel satiated or even elated to have been able to let go of a burden in her heart that she has keep. Similarly, in goblin Market, this exercise of free choice was done by Laura, when she can no longer bear the very temptations of the goblin men, and had to let go, by buying a few fruits from them. Here she is rewarded with the most luscious fruits that she has ever even tasted something like this before. The extraordinariness of the fruits flavor is celebratory of her release from the stifling, though well meaning warnings of Lizzie.
These only go to show that not only should we be careful with out choices, but also be mindful of the very people, whether they be strangers or family pf some sort. Who would think that behind the docile and sweet smiles of Porphiyria there lays a cold hearted murderer. Who would have thought even that in Goblin Market, those luscious and succulent fruits cause one to pine and waste away after partaking of these delectable selections
Finally, it is a sad conclusion that most of the times, these choices that we make with regards to people we choose to have relationships or entanglements with are actually those that do us in. The very things we often struggle for against other people, society or the world-at-large, to be able to keep for ourselves are actually those that would eventually be our own undoing. Oftentimes, too late do we realize of this sad fact that we are already in too deep or attached deeply or entangled tightly to these relationships.
In the case of Porphyrias Lover, was it not the womans choosing to be with Porphyria, in defiance of decency and even her own objections and vanities, would led to her tragic death The very person whom she wanted for her own was actually what would eventually kill her and cause her life. The same goes with Goblin Market, as when Laura realizes too late that the very desires for the fruits from the goblin men would be the cause of her pining away. This would have even brought her to her demise had she not been saved by the loyal sacrifice of her ever patient and ever loving sister Lizzie.
One final note though is the kind of relationship exhibited in both poems. This is how they differ from one another. In Brownings poem, though it might just be a suggestion that the relationship was illicit and not really substantiated the relationship between the two characters were at most sexual and carnal in nature. Whereas, in Goblin Market,the relationship that binds the two characters together was borne out of a more familial love. The love of Lizzie for her sister was actually what saw them through the whole ordeal, and in the end, became instrumental to the restoration and saving from the jaws of death of her sister Laura.
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