The themes present in Rossetti's "Goblin Market" and Hopkins' "Spring and Fall" are replete with apparent audience contradictions. In both works, the author ostensibly addresses issues typically found in a children's poem, but beneath the surface are other elements at play that give the reader reason to examine the overt themes under a day more appropriate for something much deeper than a poem written specifically for them. children. By examining the two works through the prism thus described, it will be possible to make connections between the two works that otherwise might not have been easily connected, as well as to unravel the hidden meaning of the two works of the manifest message presented at the surface level and therefore you intuit the intended audience of the poems. Christina Rossetti publicly admitted that her poem "Goblin Market" was intended to be read for a children's audience, but privately, in correspondence with her publisher, claimed that the poem was intended for a more mature audience. . The themes present in the work are remarkably misleading and could easily be interpreted as representing a number of commentaries, including a critique of the commodification of women in the Victorian marriage market, a critique of the rise of marketing campaigns in England pre-capitalist, or even a commentary on the exclusion of women artists from the art world during the Victorian era. All of these stories require a reading of the poem that would involve far greater attention to detail than a child would be able to muster, which is exactly the beauty of Rossetti's work. On the surface it's a somewhat surprising fairy tale, although it doesn't particularly push the boundaries in terms of what it would expose to a child too, especially...... middle of paper.. ....aged incredibly skillfully and Rossetti in particular leaves the reader with a veritable cornucopia of stories to choose from when the time comes to decide what meaning lies behind his work. The themes of youth, age, rejuvenation and maturation all play an important role in these two works, with "Spring and Fall" playing heavily on ideas of youth and maturation while "Goblin Market" focuses more on youth themes. , and rejuvenation, as well as a little maturation in the conclusion of the work. Works Cited Rossetti, Christina Georgina and Ellen Raskin. Goblin Market. New York: EP Dutton & Co., 1970. Print. Hopkins, Gerard. "Spring and autumn." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online - Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Np, January 1, 1918. Web. April 30. 2014. .