"It's piled-up boxes,
outlined with shoddy fret-work, half-fallen off,
cracked and unpainted. It looks old."
The first speaker is determined to explain the significance of the monument to the second speaker. To ensure that the second speaker is aware of the conversation, the first speaker asks the question, "Now can you see the monument?" Unfortunately, the second speaker sees the monument as a useless thing that has no significance at all. According to the second speaker, art is significant because it helps an individual to express his feelings. The second speaker describes the monument as piled-up boxes, shoddy work, and old.
"Why does the strange sea make no sound?
Is it because we're far away?
Where are we? Are we in Asia Minor,
or in Mongolia?"
After the first speaker describes the art monument, the second speaker wonders why the first speaker's description is far from reality. For instance, the second speaker argues that under normal circumstances, the sea cannot remain calm forever because there are possible waves that cause turbulence. Similarly, the second speaker is confused about their actual location based on the first speaker's description.
"Why did you bring me here to see it?
A temple of crates in cramped and crated scenery,
what can it prove?
I am tired of breathing this eroded air,
this dryness in which the monument is cracking."
The second speaker says this statement to justify his conclusion that the monument has no significance at all. For instance, the second speaker asks the first speaker why he has been taken to see an object which has no importance. According to the second speaker, the monument is just a temple of cramped crates, making it shapeless and useless. Additionally, the second speaker argues that seeing the memorial makes him uncomfortable because he cannot breathe. Consequently, the author illustrates that people see things differently, and one should not expect people to have a similar opinion regarding a particular object.
