Science Fiction - Poetry Book
Still considering a book or publication which exists in this science fiction future where humans inhabit Mars, I started thinking about poetry after seeing an article about a poetry competition in 2013 where 5 haikus were picked and put on the MAVEN spacecraft before it was sent to mars:
‘Outreach officials working for the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN) are employing the Japanese-style poem to involve non-rocket scientists in the next mission to the red planet. In May they invited the public to enter poems, promising to select five winners that will be adhered to the MAVEN before it is launched towards Martian airspace. A 20-day launch window will begin Nov. 18.’
Thirty-six million
miles of whispering welcome.
Mars, you called us home.
–Vanna Bonta, USA
It’s funny, they named
Mars after the God of War
Have a look at Earth
–Benedict Smith, United Kingdom
This got me onto looking at poems about mars:
Mars Being Red - Marvin Bell 1937
Being red is the color of a white sun where it lingers
on an arm. Color of time lost in sparks, of space lost
inside dance. Red of walks by the railroad in the flush
of youth, while our steps released the squeaks
of shoots reaching for the light. Scarlet of sin, crimson
of fresh blood, ruby and garnet of the jewel bed,
early sunshine, vestiges of the late sun as it turns
green and disappears. Be calm. Do not give in
to the rabid red throat of age. In a red world, imprint
the valentine and blush of romance for the dark.
It has come. You will not be this quick-to-redden
forever. You will be green again, again and again.
The Light of Stars - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 1838
The night is come, but not too soon;
And sinking silently,
All silently, the little moon
Drops down behind the sky.
There is no light in earth or heaven
But the cold light of stars;
And the first watch of night is given
To the red planet Mars.
Is it the tender star of love?
The star of love and dreams?
O no! from that blue tent above,
A hero's armor gleams.
And earnest thoughts within me rise,
When I behold afar,
Suspended in the evening skies,
The shield of that red star.
O star of strength! I see thee stand
And smile upon my pain;
Thou beckonest with thy mailèd hand,
And I am strong again.
Within my breast there is no light
But the cold light of stars;
I give the first watch of the night
To the red planet Mars.
The star of the unconquered will,
He rises in my breast,
Serene, and resolute, and still,
And calm, and self-possessed.
And thou, too, whosoe'er thou art,
That readest this brief psalm,
As one by one thy hopes depart,
Be resolute and calm.
O fear not in a world like this,
And thou shalt know erelong,
Know how sublime a thing it is
To suffer and be strong.
These poems are quite romantic in nature, and it made me consider what place they would have in a science fiction future where humans live on Mars. Which gave me the idea, what if I created a poetry book with poems about mars and poems about earth, it would be aimed at people who have someone they love on the other planet. I think this fits with the romantic and evocative nature of some of these poems, and as an idea in itself it is quite evocative, almost a poignant idea to consider 2 people in love on different planets.
What I like about this idea is that it doesn’t have a massive concept, and doesn’t include crazy speculations about what the science fiction future would look like, its a lot more accessible and relatable, yet this theme of the distance between mars and earth sort of underscores it with a science fiction tone. I previously stated when coming up with ideas that I’d like to create something which is almost more of an everyday object, but which happens to inhabit this science fiction future.
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