Religious Symbols – The religious symbols are very much common in the poetry. The essence of Pre-Raphaelites writing was to balance the reality of Victorian era with the sensual world of Romanticism(nature) implying that their poetry shrouds multiple meanings of life. The “market” could symbolize the Victorian society and form a religious level could symbolizes the garden of Eden. The “fruit” is a symbol of tree of knowledge from the Eden garden or the Forbidden Fruit. The “Goblin” represents the Serpent or Satan who deceives Eve into temptations to eat the forbidden fruit from the garden of Eden. In the poem, Lizzie represents resistance or chastity whereas Laura represents Eve and Laura becomes a victim of the fruit where the goblins were able to make her drink which is similar to the Eve being deceived and tempted by the Snake serpent in the garden of Eden.
Sexual Symbols– The sexual symbols or feminine sexuality is symbolically represented in the poem. The poem is directly addressing the Victorian chastise code and the ideal woman as such. The comparison of “orange tree” to Lizzie being pollinated by “wasp and bees” represents Lizzie feminine sexuality or someone who is blossoming into youth. The “flowers” in the poem is highly suggestive of woman’s sexuality as well. Laura is compared to a flower “lily” where “Lily”represents Virgin Mary in Western Culture and hence Laura is also a representation of a virgin and chastise woman but sometimes lilies are also associated with death. The juxtaposition of chastity and death is combined in such a way where Laura was a chastise woman in the beginning but her inability to restrain away from the temptation of goblin fruit devoured her virginity and resulting in death and destruction. It becomes obviously clear when Jeanie was a victim of goblin fruit in the market and she wore the “flowers” the goblins picked her for her also represents the loss of chastity and virginity. The action of goblins picking up her flower for her sexually represents the woman’s sexuality being devoured by the goblin or the loss of woman’s virginity. However, Laura is also compared to “newly buds” and “cup like lilies” represents symbolically her virtue and the start of freshness in her life. The given imagery of flowers represents the woman’s sexuality and her private parts but the poet seems to bring back the fidelity to Laura even though she was consummated by the goblins.
Materialistic Symbols– The role of materialism is a dynamic essence of Victorian era. In the poem, the role of “money” is important as the very title suggest the market literally and it is the money which has the its role to play in the market. The imagery that the poet uses to depict money is the use of natural hair and nature. The poet do not directly addresses it with money as such or capital but rather uses “gold” where Laura seems to have it under her “furze”. Here the “furze” is the kind of shrub which weaves yellow flowers. The “gold” symbolizes money. When she says that she has money on her “furze” implying money she has under her “furze”. The goblins understood her gesture and cleared to her about the “gold” that exist on her “head”. Here, the goblins wants her “golden curl” or golden hair as a money which symbolizes objectification of woman. The goblins are looking at her “head” implying her body as a money for them to buy a fruit for her. It is completely a seduction process where the demand of “golden curl” is a demand for Laura’s virginity and she can have the fruit if she gives it to them.
Sisterhood Symbols– The symbol of sisterhood is weaved beautifully in the poem where the two sisters are compared to a pair of “pigeons in one nest” . They are compared to pigeons sharing each other spaces and relationships in one nest. They are also compared to “two blossoms on one stem” implying that the two sisters are identical or perhaps suggest the sisterhood of similar experiences. The lines “For there is no friend like a sister” implies the real sisterhood where one sister can help another sister from the life’s troubles and distractions. The poem ends with an optimistic note of womanhood and strong unity of woman to help one another.
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