ASSISI Flashcards
“With his hands on backwards”
the initial focus of the poem is the beggar who sits on the steps of the basilica. the imagery is almost grotesque and emphasises the terrible condition of this man.
“sat, slumped like a half-filled sack”
the sibilance of the simile creates an incredibly vivid image suggesting that he can barley support his own frame.
“tiny twisted legs from which sawdust might run”
the sack metaphor continues in this figure is no longer a man but merely the deformed shell of a human being filled with stuffing.
“three tiers of churches”
MacCaig deliberately juxtaposes this pitiful, crooked, pathetic individual against the grand backdrop of the basilica.
“brother pf the poor, talker with the birds.”
what is being emphasised here is the incongruity that such an architecturally complex building was used to honour a priest with such simple, plain tastes ad philosophies.
“had the advantage of not being dead yet.”
the effect of these lines is to suggest that being alive is the only thing the beggar has in his favour, yet what is really implied is that perhaps it would be better if he were dead rather being forced to endure this terrible existence.
‘yet’ has a sinister effect, suggesting that the beggar will not survive this pitiful way of life for much longer.
“reveal to the illiterate the goodness of god and the suffering of his son.”
attention moves away from beggar to a priest who is showing tourists around the church. The mood changes from the pity elicited by the beggar to anger, as the speaker notes how the priest fawns over the cleverness of the artist Giotto.
This heavy irony emphasises the hypocrisy of the priest, supposedly a man devoted to the teachings of the bible yet who seems utterly unaffected by the sight of the beggar.
‘goodness’ and the ‘suffering’ captured in the priceless frescoes, but seems more impressed with the depiction of these teachings than in actually practising them himself.
“I understood the explanation and the cleverness”
stanza ends on a caustic note as the speaker succinctly dismisses the expertise of the priest it is clear that the speaker is offended by the obvious intellectual pride the priest demonstrates when he discusses Giotto’s work.
the hypocrisy of the church is revealed through the actions of the guide, since priests are supposed to be humble as well as compassionate. Intelligence without kindness has no value.
“clucking contentedly” “fluttered after him”
now our attention turns to the tourists who seem impressed with their tour guide and the mood changes again as the speaker sardonically compares them to a flock of chickens with dumb, blind obedience.
“it was they who had passed the ruined temple outside”
the tone becomes almost accusatory as the speaker once focuses on the beggar as he considers the apathetic response of the tourists to his presence.
“ruined temple”
the comparison of the beggar to a place of worship is especially apt give the specific setting of the poem and is one of the most powerful metaphors used in the piece.
“wept pus”
describing his eyes is especially unpleasant and reinforces the desperateness.
“a voice as sweet as a child’s when she speaks to her mother”
this image is the antithesis of any other used to describe the man: a single attractive quality.
