Goblin Market appeals to a wide variety of readers. Many enjoy the strange setting, the haunting tone, the appealing characters, or the hideous goblin men.

Goblin Market has long been printed separately for children, sometimes in lavishly illustrated editions. Those interested in religious studies find in the poem a rewarding portrayal of Christian principles of sin, suffering, sacrifice, and redemption. Feminists and those interested in gender studies appreciate the poem's female perspective on aspects of male/female and female/female relationships. And nearly everyone can identify with a character who makes a bad choice, but who is saved by a loving, unselfish friend.

Goblin Market also presents an interesting study of language and poetic techniques. Rossetti's language seems simple, but she has crafted it meticulously. She employs various kinds of rhyme and meter with high success. Her similes and metaphors nearly always delight the careful reader...