The Martian
The speaker of Raine's poem "A Martian Sends a Postcard Home" and other Martian poetry. The Martian, in simple terms, is an alien from Mars. In Raine's poetry though the Martian gives a totally alien perspective to human society. Societal norms and customs do not exist for the Martian. The Martian tells of the world in terms (that to humans) seem totally foreign. Raine's purpose is to describe the world in a new manner unfamiliar to established poetry. The Martian's description is poetic in a way that seems odd to humans, but does have its own poetic elements.
The "Lover"
The speaker in Raine's poem “The Onion, Memory”. The “Lover” is a character who finds his past omnipresent in their humdrum daily life. The simple action of cutting an onion raises many emotional issues in their mind. The conflict, to the “Lover”, is attempting to understand why their love failed as it did. All their descriptions of simple, daily scenes are colored by this understanding of this past romance.
Isabella
The female lead in Raine's poem “In The Kalahari Desert”. Isabella embarks with Rev. Roger Price, the Helmores, and the guide Makololo across the Kalahri Desert. This proves fatal when their car breaks down. As the other characters perish around her (including Isabella's baby), Isabella attempts to make it to the end of the desert. This proves fatal though as Isabella's burial in the sand closes the poem.
The Helmores
The unfortunate married couple who goes ahead of the group in “In the Kalahari Desert” to find a fix for the group's broken axle on their oxcart. While they are gone, Makololo the Zulu guides reads and replaces words in their Bible. Near the end of the poem, the remnants of the group stumble upon the dead Helmores being eaten by vultures.
Makololo
The group's Zulu guide through the Kalahari Desert in the poem “In the Kalahari Desert”. It appears to be Makololo's poor directions that first got the group lost as he does not understand English very well. His inability to read the Bible shows his understanding is less than stellar. Makololo is one of the last of the group to die as he attempts to drink vinegar to ward of dehydration, but the liquid kills him. Still, at the end of the poem, his replacement of “God” with “Manchester” in the Helmore's Bible proves highly ironic.
Reverend Roger Price
The reverend who accompanies the group across the Kalahari in “In the Kalahari Desert”. By the end of the poem, it falls to Roger to bury all his dead companions and their belongings. As he buries the dead Isabella in an impromptu funeral, he reads Makololo's edited Bible which states: “In the beginning was the Word— The Word was Manchester”.
