Analysis of Norman MacCaig's "Assisi"

Norman MacCaig's poem "Assisi" offers a scathing critique of religious hypocrisy and social inequality through its vivid portrayal of a disabled beggar juxtaposed against the backdrop of a wealthy church and indifferent tourists. The poem's structure and imagery work together to highlight the stark contrasts between appearances and reality.

Structure and Themes

The poem is divided into three stanzas, each focusing on a different group of people:

1. The Beggar
2. The Priests
3. The Tourists

This structure creates a circular narrative that emphasizes the isolation and neglect of the beggar.

Highlight: The circular structure of the poem (Beggar - Priests - Tourists - Beggar) reinforces the theme that "beauty is but skin deep" and exposes the hypocrisy of the church.

Imagery and Language

MacCaig employs brutal and vivid language to describe the beggar, using dehumanizing imagery:

Quote: "Like a half-filled sack"

This imagery contrasts sharply with the description of the church and its representatives:

Example: The priests are described as "smug and hypocritical," while the tourists are compared to chickens "clucking contentedly."

Stanza Analysis

Stanza 1: The Beggar

The first stanza uses long, complex sentences and lists to provide a harsh but vivid description of the beggar. The poet employs surprising gender changes (she/her) and demoralizing, non-medical terms like "dwarf" to emphasize the beggar's marginalization.

Vocabulary: Juxtaposition - The placement of contrasting elements side by side for emphasis.

Stanza 2: The Priests

This stanza consists of two sentences that highlight the smugness and hypocrisy of the church representatives. The poet uses sarcasm to criticize their behavior.

Stanza 3: The Tourists

The final stanza also contains two sentences, beginning with a description of the tourists and then contrasting back to the beggar. This reinforces the circular structure of the poem.

Themes and Imagery

The poem explores several key themes:

1. The hypocrisy of the church in Assisi
2. The plight of the disabled
3. The superficiality of religious tourism

Definition: Hypocrisy - The practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform.

MacCaig uses powerful imagery to convey these themes, such as comparing the tourists to chickens with "tiny twisted legs" and "hands on backwards," emphasizing their obliviousness to the beggar's suffering.

The poem ultimately presents a stark contrast between appearances and reality:

• The beggar: "Ugly" on the outside, "Beautiful" on the inside
• The church: "Beautiful" on the outside, "Ugly" on the inside

This juxtaposition serves to highlight the poem's central message about the superficiality of religious institutions and the neglect of those in need.