The Mystery of Life
In “Mapping the Genome,” Roberts uses a very specific and lengthy metaphor to liken the mapping of the human genome to a very bendy, winding, and occasionally uneventful road trip. The road, he suggests, is equivalent to the winding helixes of our genetic DNA. This DNA, Roberts surmises, likely contains the deepest and most-held secrets of humanity. Buried deep within our genetic code must be the primitive instincts that allowed all creatures before humans to hunt, adapt, and migrate. These instincts are, therefore, fundamentally part of us humans, as well. And yet, despite our efforts to map the human genome—this vast, and unexplored terrain, much like a desert—we are not yet able to unlock these ancestral secrets. Therefore, in this poem Roberts explores our evolutionary history and suggests that, though we may succeed in mapping the human genome, such long-held secrets may always remain a mystery.
The Beauty in Transitions
In “Nativity Scene in Bullet-Time,” the narrator devotes the entirety of the poem to exploring the singular minute, which occurs at midnight on New Year’s Eve. He explains that this minute, during which we transition from the completed year into an entirely new one, is precious and must be valued and treasured. He suggests that, during this brief moment, all of the world stands still; moments last for minutes or even hours. In this way, Roberts suggests that we should value these monumental transitions and should see the beauty in them, for is during these transitions that all of humanity moves into a new era, chapter, and moment.
The Tenacity of Science
In “Mapping the Genome,” Roberts heaps great praise and admiration onto the geneticists that are dedicated to mapping the human genome. He likens them to topographers, driving through a new terrain with the intent to map it out and share this map with the world. In this metaphorical poem, Roberts likens this new terrain—this new map—to a lengthy and bendy road. Along this road, as with science, there are unexpected roadblocks. These roadblocks are metaphors for the challenges that the geneticist will face in their attempts to map the human genome. Roberts also suggests that this drive is much like driving through a desert in that it is long, bendy, winding, and generally boring. This reflects the fact that much of the human genome is gray matter—it does not contain information or data. As such, much like the driver must make his or her way through the winding desert with only the occasional roadblock or sight to see, so too must geneticists wade through the un-useful pieces of genetic code.
