Comparative analysis of Craig’s "A
Martian Sends a Postcard Home" and Sandra’s
"Unit of Measure"
"A Martian Sends a Postcard
Home" is a poem that has employed a vast usage of metaphors to explain a
lot of concerns about nature. At the very initial lines, we come across books
being referred to as Caxtons and their effects when read as causing the eyes to
melt depicting possible tears that may be seen as one reads.
Instances where metaphors are used in
"A Martian Sends a Postcard Home" include, mechanical birds with
wings are pages of a book. He says they are treasured for their markings and
this implies that the people who read the books really value them. He also uses
the term ‘’model T’ to describe a car. The outside of the car is described by
him as the outside world. That one needs a key to turn on the car on and off.
This signifies the car’s ignition keys.
"Unit of Measure" on the
other hand brings into attention measurements of human aspects in terms of a
capybara. The author has depicted, using a lot of similes, the similarities and
differences in human behaviour and that of a capybara.
In this text, we are going to look at
the poems in details, highlighting similarities and differences between them.
To begin with the similarities in the
two poems, we take a look at the styles used. Both poets have used figurative
language in that Craig has employed a vast usage of metaphors and Sandra has
used similes. Both styles make the individual poems to relay their intended
messages in such a nice manner than if ordinary words were simply used. The
metaphors send the reader into trying to find out what is actually meant and
the simile is effective as it makes one relate to the ideas in the poem.
The poets alike criticize human
beings. In the poem "A Martian Sends a Postcard Home", we come across
a watch that has been tied to the wrist and human beings cannot wait to see the
time pass by, they are naturally very impatient as depicted keeping the watches
in the boxes. The poem “A unit of measure” also castigates human behaviour in
which they do not want to be associated with lesser beings like animals. The
poet goes ahead to bring into our attention instances in which animals are even
better off than us. She notes that the capybara can camouflage among fish and
be accepted as one of them while we cannot.
Also worth noting is that the capybara has had a set of twenty teeth which
it has never shed, but which instead grow bigger, while we human beings do not
have the same set we were born with. This explains that there are things that
the animals can do than we.
Both poets have also floated an idea
about the normal life that an individual leads. Craig has brought forward the
aspect of telephone which he describes as a baby. The telephone rings and the
receiver picks it up. This ringing and picking up activity is likened to a
snoring sleeping baby that is awakened and is soothed to sleep. He also writes
about some punishment that human beings undergo. Here the writer is talking
about bathing in the bathrooms for adults while children bathe in the open. He
also brings in the family setup in which couples sleep together. The sleeping
process may be characterised by dreams which is brought forth as reading.
Sandra has also brought in issues of comparison which are eminent in human
life. People are always comparing one thing to another or on a given scale. She
has brought in her description using a capybara.
We also come to realize that the
everything can be used as a standard for the other and thus nothing is too inefficient
or inappropriate to describe the other. The author of "Unit of
Measure" has brought this home and human beings can now find a relation
between themselves and animals. The other poem also uses objects to describe
actions of human beings. We find human beings who are reading likened to a bird
seen perching the hands.
Both poems bring about a comparison
between one thing and the other. In the poem "Unit of Measure", the
unit is constantly a capybara all through the poem. As we read the poem all the
way down, we hardly miss a line with the word capybara. The other of the poem
"A Martian Sends a Postcard Home" is also using comparison between
two things. For his case, he is not mentioning the second implied thing as does
the first poet. All the same, she uses the aspect of comparison.
Their exists differences as well in
the individual poems. While the "Unit of Measure" talks about human
occurrences, it does so using simple terms that one can easily identify with.
She uses basic terms commonly applied by the human race. Such words include
watermelon, fish, eating and barking among others. The poem "A Martian
Sends a Postcard Home" however does speaks in tough metaphors that one has
to think really deep about the intended message. This is because the persona in
the poem is a Martian who is not really conversant with the cultures of mankind
here on earth. He therefore uses words that are familiar to him in the outer
space and this may leave one baffled.
While both texts talk about humanity
and their behaviour, the intended audience varies slightly. The poem "A
Martian Sends a Postcard Home" is addressed to people with a deeper
understanding of the society. This is because it does not speak in plain terms
that a common man would easily understand whatever message was intended.
Rather, it talks much more of in strong figurative language. "Unit of
Measure" however is addressed to all walks of people in the society
because of its relatively clear and easy words whose meanings do not require
much time to understand.
Sandra’s piece clearly portrays the
negative aspects in the life of a human beings in that human beings are always
feeling superior to themselves. She has acknowledged that there are things that
the capybara can do things that a human being cannot. For the case of a
capybara it can sleep under water while human beings cannot because of the
scattered position of their ears, eyes and nose. However, the "A Martian Sends a Postcard
Home" is a general conveyance of the life of human beings and their
cultures.
Summary
Both of these texts reveal aspects
about human life in a hidden manner. The poems, to the extent of their
diversity, have a myriad of lessons that we need to learn from nature. That
human belongs should not look down upon nature in any way because they relate
to the same upto a given extent. In fact, nature is better off than us in
certain occasions.
With due consideration to the aspect
of bathing, which is described as suffering in "A Martian Sends a Postcard
Home", the author floats the idea of class in the society. That people are
of various classes and that is why we have children and adults operate
differently. We also see the colours dying at night and people are in pairs.
This depicts couples who sleep together. This is however not the case in
"Unit of Measure" because it merely entails a general warning to all
mankind to respect and appreciate nature and pays no special regards to one’s
age. It is no wonder the poem is
dominated by general terms like everyone and everything
The poets have at least some lessons
that they so wish to impart in us as mankind. In my attempt to tackle this, I
begin with the poem "Unit of Measure". Here Sandra has indicated much
moral lessons to the mankind. She educates people not to look down upon others.
. She advices us that each one has their own shortcomings and we need to
understand each other. This is seen when she brings in the image of a capybara
whose hind limbs are longer and seems to be going downhill every other time. The
poem "A Martian Sends a Postcard Home" also depicts some vital
lessons as regards mankind. It is of the lesson that every other thing can be
used to describe the other. The Martian uses certain terms to describe some
aspects on earth that would not be easily understood if one does not open up
their thoughts.
Citations
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