Form & Background Flashcards
Which form of poetry is the poem written in, and how does it benefit the poem?
The poem is structured in non-rhyming free verse. This style depends upon techniques such as enjambment, verse structure, and the length of lines.
Describe the situation of the poem.
The speaker describes a visit to the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi: in Italy. The basilica is an important Christian landmark built in honour of St Francis of Assisi, a catholic priest who decided to live a life of poverty after spending time with the poor.
In the poem, MacCaig exposes the irony that this church, constructed to celebrate a man devoted to the poor, is now a symbol of hypocrisy.
Instead of being a lasting monument to the original and noble philosophies of St. Francis, it has become celebrated for its architectural merit and the priceless frescoes by the artist Giotto which are housed within it,
The poem was written by MacCaig as a comment on the hypocrisy of the Christian church and the modern world in general, that professes the care for the sick and poor but actually is more interested in vanity and wealth.
Describe how the theme of religious hypocrisy is used in the poem.
St Francis taught that the poor and the sick of society are the most vulnerable and therefore need the most attention and care, but MacCaig shows that the modern church, which is supposed to follow the saint’s teaching, clearly is more interested in serving the interests of tourists than of the needy.
Describe how the theme of poverty and sickness is used in the poem.
The poor deformed beggar is central to the poem. We are at once disgusted by his physical appearance and drawn to help him through pity for his miserable state. He is begging outside the church and no one cares to help.
Describe how the theme of saintliness is used in the poem.
The poem is in praise of the saintly ideas of St Francis and is clearly lamenting that these ideas are no longer really held as important, even though many people pretend to care.
Describe how the theme of pity is used in the poem.
We are made to feel pity for the poor beggar and feel that he has a beautiful soul and is loved by God, and therefore must be loved by man. The poem contrasts his physical ugliness but inner beauty with the ostentatious but empty moral core of the cathedral.
Describe the three stanzas of the poem.
The first describes a disabled “dwarf” sitting outside the beautiful church dedicated to St. Francis.
The second portrays a priest acting as a tour guide describing the meaning of Giotto’s paintings inside the church. The poet comments directly and mockingly on the priest’s explanations.
The third and final stanza describes the tourists chatting ignorantly, oblivious to the suffering and inner beauty of the “dwarf” begging outside the church as they pass.
