'What is it?' 'It is a lewd goblin': Taking Critical Cues from Illustrative Adaptations of Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market.

This article examines the poem *Goblin Market* by Christina Rossetti through the lens of its numerous illustrated adaptations, arguing that these visual interpretations—particularly the consistent depiction of the goblins as animals—offer critical insights into the poem’s longstanding ambiguity, especially regarding its sexual undertones. While traditional criticism has focused on the poem’s ambiguous erotic allegory, the article highlights how adaptations function as interpretive acts that shape meaning, revealing a persistent connection between animality and sexuality linked to nineteenth-century scientific theories of sexual selection. The analysis traces how illustrators from Dante Gabriel Rossetti onward have emphasized the goblins’ animalistic and erotic nature, influencing both scholarly and popular receptions of the poem. Ultimately, the article suggests that studying adaptive patterns, especially visual ones, can fill gaps in literary criticism and deepen understanding of complex texts like *Goblin Market*.