Craig Raine's "A Martian Sends a Postcard Home" is probably the best-known example of "Martian poetry," a British movement from the 1970s and 1980s. Its speaker, as the title suggests, is a Martian visiting Earth. Reporting back to Mars, the speaker describes various things on our planet—including rain, clocks, and dreams—from an alien perspective, making everyday phenomena seem strange. The poem's metaphors and imagery cast human life in an unexpected light; at times, the Martian's descriptions even feel like puzzles for the reader. "A Martian Sends a Postcard Home" was collected in Raine's 1980 volume of the same title.
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Caxtons are mechanical ...
... their markings –
they cause the ...
... shriek without pain.
I have never ...
... on the hand.
Mist is when ...
... under tissue paper.
Rain is when ...
... making colours darker.
Model T is ...
... for anything missed.
But time is ...
... ticking with impatience.
In homes, a ...
... with a finger.
Only the young ...
... openly.
Adults go to ...
... a different smell.
At night, when ...
... their eyelids shut.
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
The Poem Read Aloud — Listen to a reading of "A Martian Sends a Postcard Home."
Martian Poetry — Read more context on Martian poetry, the movement spawned by Raine's poem.
History of the Model T — Get caught up on the history of the Model T, the car that Raine's speaker identifies with all automobiles.
Biography of Craig Raine — Learn more about the author's background and other works.
Biography of William Caxton — Learn about William Caxton, the first English printer, whose name gives the Martian a curious new word for books.