Sentence structure - Assisi

Question 1

Brother of the poor, talker with birds, over whom he had the advantage of not being dead yet

Answer 1

• rule of three, enjambment and word placement
• the rule of three helps to build a picture of St Francis that contrasts with the church built in his honour to allow MacCaig to introduce a sense of irony
• The word choice of “yet” at the end of the line reminds us the beggar’s poor physical condition means that he will likely die soon if he is not helped.

Question 2

The suffering/ of His Son. I understood

Answer 2

• enjambment, caesura
• enjambment highlights the word choice of suffering so MacCaig can draw attention to the fact there is suffering happening right in front of the priest yet he does nothing to help the beggar
• The caesura allows for a definite pause before the speaker passes judgement on what he sees - the hypocrisy of the church and how they teach Christian values but don’t actually follow them

Question 3

Whose eyes wept pus, whose back was higher than his head, whose lopsided mouth

Answer 3

• enjambment, rule of three, repetition
• The repetitive structure allows MacCaig to again remind the reader of the poor physical condition of the beggar and how he desperately needs help. The enjambment highlights the word choice of “wept” which has connotations of upset and pain and “pus” which has connotations of illness, emphasising the beggar is really sick and declining.