Image Source : Goodreads

Craig Raine's "A Martian Sends a Postcard Home": An Exploration

Craig Raine's "A Martian Sends a Postcard Home," first published in his 1979 collection *A Martian Visits Earth*, stands as a seminal work of Martianist poetry. This innovative approach, characterized by defamiliarization and a childlike wonder, invites readers to see the commonplace aspects of human life through the utterly alien perspective of a Martian visitor. The poem is not merely a whimsical exercise in extraterrestrial observation; it serves as a profound commentary on human perception, the strangeness of the familiar, and the power of language to shape our understanding of reality. To fully appreciate the poem's artistry and depth, we must delve into its explanation, summary, analysis, and the key themes it explores.

Explanation of Martianist Poetry

Before dissecting the poem itself, it is crucial to understand the context of Martianist poetry. This movement, largely associated with Craig Raine and Christopher Reid in the late 1970s, aimed to rejuvenate poetic language by presenting familiar objects and experiences as if seen for the first time by a Martian. The core technique involves using vivid and often surprising metaphors and similes that highlight the inherent strangeness of the everyday. By stripping away our preconceived notions and linguistic clichés, Martianist poets sought to make us see the world anew, fostering a sense of wonder and prompting a re-evaluation of our surroundings. The Martian persona acts as a detached observer, unburdened by human cultural baggage and linguistic conventions, allowing for a fresh and often humorous perspective.

Summary of "A Martian Sends a Postcard Home"

The poem takes the form of a postcard sent by a Martian who has recently visited Earth. In this postcard, the Martian describes various aspects of human life and culture, attempting to make sense of them through its alien understanding. The Martian encounters seemingly ordinary objects and activities, but its descriptions render them bizarre and unfamiliar. For instance, books are described as "Caxtons," having "mechanical birds" inside that sing when opened. Telephones are seen as causing "the wires to grow flowers for the Gods." Cars are depicted as having "eyes of glass" and consuming "petrol."

The Martian observes human interactions as well. It notes the wearing of clothes, describing trousers as tubes and bras as "cupless brassieres." Religious practices are viewed with bewilderment, with churches becoming "places for people to meet" where they "lift their hats off their heads." The poem touches upon domestic life, with the Martian observing the function of a refrigerator as a "cold room" that keeps food for later. Even abstract concepts like time are filtered through the Martian's alien lens, with the passing of days marked by the changing "pictures" on a television screen.

The postcard concludes with the Martian expressing its ongoing attempts to understand these strange phenomena, acknowledging the limitations of its current comprehension. The overall tone is one of detached curiosity, tinged with a subtle sense of the inherent absurdity of human existence as viewed from an entirely different standpoint.

Detailed Analysis of the Poem

The brilliance of "A Martian Sends a Postcard Home" lies in Raine's masterful use of language and imagery to create this alien perspective. Each stanza unfolds a new observation, rich with inventive metaphors that force us to reconsider the familiar.

Stanza 1: Introducing the Alien Gaze

The poem begins with the Martian's description of books as "Caxtons," a deliberate anachronism that immediately establishes the alien's unfamiliarity with human history and technology. The metaphor of "mechanical birds" inside that "sing" when opened is both whimsical and insightful. It captures the essence of reading – the silent pages coming alive with voices and stories – in a completely unexpected way. This defamiliarization is the cornerstone of the Martianist technique.

"Caxtons are mechanical birds with many wings
and some are triggered to try and fly if you open them."

The idea of books attempting to fly when opened adds a layer of surrealism, highlighting the almost magical quality of reading from an outsider's perspective.

Stanza 2: Technology Through Alien Eyes

The second stanza focuses on telephones, described as causing "the wires to grow flowers for the Gods." This striking image transforms a mundane communication device into something organic and almost divine. The "humming-birds" that fly "straight at your mouth" when you speak capture the immediacy of a phone call in a vivid and slightly unsettling way. The Martian's inability to grasp the abstract nature of communication technology leads to these literal and imaginative interpretations.

"Caxtons are mechanical birds with many wings
and some are triggered to try and fly if you open them.

Telephones are wires that grow flowers for the Gods.
Some are blue and green and ring-at-a-time.
Are they crying?"

The Martian's question, "Are they crying?" reveals its attempt to anthropomorphize the ringing of the telephone, further emphasizing its struggle to understand human emotions and their connection to technology.

Stanza 3: Transportation and Consumption

Cars are presented as having "eyes of glass" and drinking "a lot of water but mostly petrol." This personification of vehicles highlights their seemingly animate nature from an alien viewpoint. The Martian focuses on the tangible aspects – the headlights resembling eyes and the need for fuel as a form of sustenance – while missing the underlying mechanics and purpose of transportation.

"Cars are mechanical birds with eyes of glass,
drinking a lot of water but mostly petrol.
Only a few of them are blue at once."

The observation that "only a few of them are blue at once" is a seemingly random detail that underscores the Martian's focus on superficial appearances and its inability to categorize objects based on their function rather than their color.

Stanza 4: Clothing and Social Norms

The description of clothes as "the skin of a fruit" that humans "peel" and "wear" offers a unique perspective on this everyday practice. Trousers become "tubes for legs," and bras are described as "cupless brassieres," focusing on their physical form without understanding their social or cultural significance. This highlights the arbitrary nature of human customs when viewed from an outside perspective.

"Trousers are two tubes for legs that are kept apart by a button.
Wives are adults, female, and keep chairs warm and call them 'Daddy'.

The Earth is small, only a jumble of hats and shoes and bedrooms
all crammed together."

The Martian's observation about wives keeping chairs warm and calling them 'Daddy' is particularly striking. It reveals a misunderstanding of familial relationships and social roles, reducing complex human interactions to simple, observable actions. The description of Earth as a "jumble of hats and shoes and bedrooms all crammed together" emphasizes the Martian's sense of the planet's smallness and the seemingly chaotic arrangement of human life.

Stanza 5: Religion and Rituals

Churches are seen as "places for people to meet" where they "lift their hats off their heads." This literal interpretation of a religious ritual misses the spiritual significance and focuses solely on the physical act. The Martian's inability to comprehend the abstract concepts of faith and worship leads to this reductive observation.

"A photograph of a friend is trapped in a metal case.
Downstairs the wireless is the television.

Breathing is giving ourselves up to the invisible air.
Soon after, we allow it to return."

The description of a photograph as a friend "trapped in a metal case" highlights the Martian's literal understanding of representation. The equation of the wireless with the television ("Downstairs the wireless is the television") suggests a confusion between different forms of media, perhaps based on their function of transmitting information or entertainment. The Martian's observation of breathing as "giving ourselves up to the invisible air" and allowing it to return captures the fundamental yet often unnoticed act of respiration in a strangely poetic way.

Stanza 6: Domestic Life and Time

Refrigerators are described as "cold rooms full of food" that keep things for "later." This functional description lacks any understanding of the technology involved or the human need for food preservation. The concept of time is linked to the changing "pictures" on a television screen, reducing a complex abstract idea to a series of visual stimuli. This highlights the Martian's reliance on concrete observations and its struggle with abstract thought.

"A cold room full of food stood by the door.
They lock and unlock themselves.

Downstairs the wireless is the television.
Breathing is giving ourselves up to the invisible air.
Soon after, we allow it to return.

The ears of the chair were sad
and little bags of water
hung in the hall to threaten us."

The "ears of the chair" being "sad" is a poignant example of pathetic fallacy, perhaps reflecting the Martian's projection of its own feelings or its observation of human emotions associated with rest or solitude. The "little bags of water" hanging in the hall, threatening the Martian, likely refer to light bulbs or some other common household object that appears strange and potentially dangerous from an alien perspective.

Stanza 7: Conclusion - Ongoing Bewilderment

The final stanza reiterates the Martian's ongoing attempts to understand the strange world it has encountered. The phrase "So this is Earth" conveys a sense of tentative understanding, while the admission that "I have taken it rather personally" suggests a deeper emotional engagement than initially apparent. The Martian's promise to "send more postcards" implies a continued fascination with and bewilderment by human life.

"So this is Earth, yes, ridiculous planet.

I have taken it rather personally.
And now I am going home."

The description of Earth as a "ridiculous planet" encapsulates the Martian's overall impression – a world filled with illogical customs and bizarre objects. The final line, "And now I am going home," brings the postcard to a close, leaving the reader to ponder the implications of this alien perspective.

Themes in "A Martian Sends a Postcard Home"

Several key themes emerge from Raine's poem, prompting reflection on human existence and perception:

1. The Strangeness of the Familiar (Defamiliarization)

This is the central theme of the poem and of Martianist poetry in general. By presenting everyday objects and activities through the eyes of an alien, Raine forces us to see them in a new light. The metaphors and similes used by the Martian highlight the inherent strangeness that we often overlook due to familiarity. This defamiliarization encourages a sense of wonder and a critical re-evaluation of our surroundings and habits.

2. The Limitations of Human Perception

The poem implicitly critiques the limitations of human perception. Our understanding of the world is shaped by our experiences, language, and cultural context. The Martian's inability to grasp the purpose and meaning behind human actions reveals how our familiarity can blind us to the inherent oddity of our own existence. By adopting an alien perspective, Raine suggests that there are alternative ways of seeing and understanding the world.

3. The Power and Limitations of Language

Language is both a tool for understanding and a potential barrier to it. The Martian attempts to make sense of Earth through its own linguistic framework, resulting in creative and often humorous misinterpretations. This highlights how language can shape our perception and how different linguistic systems can lead to vastly different understandings of the same reality. The poem also showcases the power of metaphor to create new ways of seeing, even if those ways are ultimately based on a misunderstanding.

4. The Absurdity of Human Existence

Viewed from the detached perspective of the Martian, many aspects of human life appear illogical and absurd. The rituals, technologies, and social customs that we take for granted are rendered strange and often comical through the Martian's descriptions. This invites us to question the underlying logic of our own behaviors and the often-unexamined assumptions upon which our society is built.

5. Innocence and Wonder

The Martian's perspective is characterized by a childlike innocence and a sense of wonder at the new and unfamiliar. Its descriptions are often based on simple, sensory observations, devoid of the complex cultural and historical baggage that shapes human understanding. This innocent gaze allows for a fresh and unburdened appreciation of the world, reminding us of the wonder that can be found in the everyday if we are willing to see it with new eyes.

6. The Nature of Communication and Understanding

The poem, in the form of a postcard, is itself an act of communication. The Martian's attempts to convey its observations and understanding (or lack thereof) highlight the challenges of cross-cultural or interspecies communication. The poem suggests that true understanding requires more than just observation; it necessitates a shared context and a common framework of meaning.

Conclusion

Craig Raine's "A Martian Sends a Postcard Home" is a masterful example of Martianist poetry that continues to resonate with readers today. Through the simple yet profound device of an alien observer, Raine compels us to reconsider the familiar, revealing the inherent strangeness and occasional absurdity of human existence. The poem's inventive language, vivid imagery, and insightful observations on perception, language, and culture make it a rich and rewarding text for analysis. By adopting the Martian's innocent and detached gaze, we are invited to shed our preconceived notions and rediscover the wonder and peculiarity of the world around us.

Sources

Raine, Craig. A Martian Visits Earth. Oxford University Press, 1979.
Motion, Andrew. "The Martian School." Poetry Review, vol. 69, no. 1, 1979, pp. 45-49.
Vendler, Helen. "Contemporary Poetry." The Harvard Guide to Contemporary American Writing, edited by Daniel Hoffman, Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1979, pp. 50-103.
Ford, Mark. "Craig Raine." The Oxford Companion to Modern Poetry, edited by Ian Hamilton, Oxford University Press, 1994, pp. 447-449.
O'Brien, Sean. The Deregulated Muse: Essays on Contemporary British & Irish Poetry. Bloodaxe Books, 1998.