Assisi Flashcards
The dwarf
Word choice - very derogatory way to stat poem. ‘dwarf’ isn’t capitalized, making it a common noun which reduces him from being a person with a name and status to just an object that it there.
hands on backwards
Metaphor - creates a grotesque (ugly/distorted) image and emphasizes the terrible condition which he is in.
sat, slumped
Alliteration - repetition of ‘s’ mimes the sound of escaping air. Shows how deflated the beggar is feeling.
like a half filled sack
Simile - beggar is so weak he can barely keep himself upright or support himself.
on tiny twisted legs from which sawdust might run
Metaphor - this figure is no longer a man, but merely the deformed shell of a human filled with stuffing.
three tiers of churches
MacCaig contrasts the image of the pitiful, deformed, suffering beggar with the beautiful, wealthy church backdrop.
brother of the poor
This distances St Francis from the ostentation of the church and emphasises the hypocrisy of the building being so grand – it is not what St Francis would have asked for or wanted. This line links St Francis to the beggar, and aligns him with the poor as opposed to the wealth suggested by the grand and over-the-top building.
over whom he had the advantage of not being dead yet
The effect of these lines is to suggest that being alive is the only thing he beggar has in his favor, yet what is really implied is that perhaps it would be better if he were dead rather than being forced to endure this terrible existence.
dead yet
Word choice ‘yet’ - sinister effect. The beggar won’t survive this pitiful way of life much longer
A priest explained how clever it was of Giotto
Heavy irony emphasizes the hypocrisy of the priest. He is supposedly devoted to teaching the Bible but is completely unaffected by the sight of the beggar.
the goodness of God
Word choice ‘goodness of god’ - seems unrelated to reality. The priest is more focused on showing off his cleverness and knowledge of the techniques Giotto used in his painting rather than helping the beggar like Giotto would have wanted.
the suffering of His Son
Word choice - the priest is unaware of the irony of his description of ‘suffering’, while hypocritically disregarding the suffering of the beggar on the church steps.
the explanation and the cleverness
This highlights the priests intellectual pride - shows that he prioritizes his own expertise over his responsibilities to care for the needy.
clucking contentedly
Alliteration and Onomatopoeia – the hard ‘c’s and the use of ‘clucking’ cynically compare the tourists to a flock of chickens, following the priest obediently and without any real thought of their own. Just like the priest, they are oblivious to the plight of the beggar.
fluttered
Word choice - extends poultry analogy, depicting the tourists as having no thought or care for those around like a chicken would.
scattered the grain
Metaphor - further extends poultry analogy, creates an image of the tourists hurriedly following and crowding the priest, digesting his every word.
the Word
Word choice - another example of sarcastic irony - the priest is so busy giving his tour and passing on gods message that he forgets to practice the compassion he preaches.
It was they
Word choice – ‘they’ implies that the speaker feels no affinity with the other tourists in the group, and that they have very different perspectives and attitudes towards the beggar. He is angry that all the tourists have ignored the beggar and therefore wont associate with them.
the ruined temple outside
Metaphor – A temple is usually something revered and significant, something that was once beautiful. But this church has fallen into disrepair due to neglect, much like the beggar.
whose eyes wept pus
Description of the beggars illness and decrepitude are unpleasant and reinforce the desperateness of the mans existence as well as contrasting with the artistic beauty of the frescoes (wall paintings) which attract the tourists.
in a voice as sweet as a child’s when she speaks to her mother
Simile - the comparison of him to a child emphasizes his innocence and naivete, and forces the reader to feel pity not only for his physical difficulties but also for his vulnerability and helplessness.
a bird’s when it spoke to St Francis
Simile - The final two lines in the poem compare the beggar to the birds that St Francis used to feed. Despite his own poverty, St Francis demonstrated the true teachings of Christ by showing that every living creature, no matter how insignificant, is worthy of compassion.
