In this edition, the first half of the collection is composed of (some) poems from the original Goblin Market and Other Poems (1862) and focuses predominantly on love and relationships. The second half contains poems from The Prince's Progress and Other Poems (1866), which takes a tonal shift focusing more on religion and death. While variable in content, the quality is consistently beautiful. Christina Rossetti is exceptionally good at expressing bitter sentiment with sweet prose.

The titular poem, "Goblin Market," is a stellar standout. It features a woman who falls to addiction, but is able to save herself with the help of another woman; this is a downright revolutionary take on the tale of the "fallen woman" for its time. I must have read this one poem at least a half dozen times, it was that enthralling.

This particular poem is also fascinating, in that it has since garnered a reputation for being "that super gay poem." It would be near impossible to dissect the mind of Christina Rossetti in regards to her personal feelings towards sexuality, especially as those constructs would be specific to her time. That said, I would still argue that "Goblin Market" could very well be a story of a romantic pairing in that the prose had many similarities to "Song of Songs" from The Bible (aka: the most sexual entry of the Old Testament), of all things.

Overall, this is a strong collection. Regardless of what prompts you to pick up a copy, I am confident that it will be well worth it.