Assisi Poem Annotations and Analysis: Page 2
The second page of the Assisi by Norman MacCaig annotated analysis delves deeper into the imagery and metaphors used to describe the beggar and the tourists' reactions.
MacCaig compares the beggar to sawdust, a striking metaphor that not only describes his appearance but also dehumanizes him. This comparison emphasizes the beggar's perceived worthlessness in the eyes of society.
Quote: "Saw dust might!" - This powerful metaphor compares the beggar to sawdust, highlighting his perceived insignificance and lack of value in society's eyes.
The analysis points out that the beggar "stays in one place," which could be interpreted as a sign of his helplessness or resignation to his situation. However, the poem also notes that this immobility is an "advantage," as it shows he is "not dead yet." This grim observation underscores the extreme poverty and hardship faced by the beggar.
Highlight: The only positive aspect of the beggar's existence, according to the poem, is the mere fact that he is still alive.
MacCaig then shifts focus to the tourists, comparing them to chickens. This comparison serves to illustrate how self-absorbed and indifferent the tourists are to the beggar's plight. The phrase "cluding contenty" (likely a transcription error for "clucking contentedly") reinforces this image of the tourists as oblivious and self-satisfied.
The final line analyzed, "The grain of the word," suggests that the tourists are eagerly consuming everything being said, possibly by a tour guide. This metaphor extends the chicken comparison and implies that the tourists are more interested in trivial information about the church than in the human suffering right in front of them.
Example: The comparison of tourists to chickens "cluding contenty" (clucking contentedly) illustrates their self-absorption and indifference to the beggar's suffering.
This page of analysis reinforces the Norman MacCaig Higher English poem's themes of social inequality, religious hypocrisy, and human indifference to suffering. The stark contrasts between the beggar's condition and the tourists' behavior highlight the poem's critical view of society's treatment of the less fortunate.
