Norman MacCaig “Scottish Text Question” Assisi

Norman MacCaig “Scottish Text Question” Assisi Remember to visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/topics/zrphvcw

background • Saint Francis is called the little poor man of Assisi. He was born in the year 1182 in the town of Assisi in Italy. His father's name was Bernadone, and he was a very wealthy merchant of Assisi. Francis was a very good-looking boy and had many friends. All the noble men's sons were his companions. • Francis was brought up in luxury and spent a considerable portion of his wealth in extravagant pleasures. He used to drink with the young princes of the land. • One day Francis was joking and laughing with his friends. A beggar came along crying for alms. Francis, who was soft-hearted, gave whatever he had in his pocket to the beggar. • His companions mocked him for his charitable act but the sight of the beggar set him thinking about the poverty and misery of his mundane life. He gave much money to the poor.

Background • His father thought that Francis was wasting his money and rebuked him. • Sometime after this, Francis was laid up in bed for many months on account of some serious disease. He was about to die and with this event the nature of Francis was entirely changed. Francis prayed to the Lord for light and guidance as to his future, had a vision of Jesus and formed a strong determination to renounce his old way of living to tread a life of purity and to dedicate his life to the service of humanity. • As soon as Francis got well, he informed his parents of his determination. They were disappointed and angry. Francis gave up his old ways and habits and set up to serve God. • He distributed clothes, goods and money to the poor. His father was very much annoyed and is reputed to have said, "Is this the gratitude you show to me ? I laboured hard and amassed wealth. You are lavishly wasting it on these miserable wretches".

Background • Francis' friends mocked at him and teased him and father turned him out of the house. • Francis lived like a beggar. His old friends even pelted him with stones and mud. He bore everything with patience. • He wore a coarse dress and ate simple food living in a cave in the mountains of Assisi and spent his time in prayer and meditation for two years. Some kind people gave him food, but very often he had to starve. • He loved birds and beasts. He loved the depressed and the outcastes. He treated the birds, the beasts and all beings as brothers and sisters. • Francis went from village to village preaching the love of God. He invited people to join him in his life of service if they were willing. Bernard, a rich man of Assisi, was very much attracted by the saintliness of Francis. He joined him and was the first follower of Francis. He placed all his wealth at the altar of God.

Background • Eleven others also joined Francis. They distributed all their wealth to the poor. Francis and his followers went all over Italy preaching, teaching, healing and blessing wherever they went. The gospel of kindness and love of Francis soon spread all over Europe and earned for him the name of St. Francis. • People called him the little poor man of Assisi but St. Francis collected many followers and founded the Order of Mendicant Friars or Franciscans. The members of this Order have to take a vow of poverty, chastity, love and obedience. Francis died in 1228.The followers of St. Francis built a beautiful church round him on the hill of Assisi, the hill he so dearly loved.

Giotto’s Frescoes

Poem’s structure • Verse 1 – The dwarf • Verse 2 – The priest • Verse 3 – The tourists – and back to the dwarf. • The poem begins and ends with the dwarf. • This is an example of an effective conclusion when an article goes full circle. • The poem is written in free verse using irregular stanzas to create a conversational, accessible style. The language is deliberately unsophisticated and even at times monosyllabic. This again lends itself to the accessibility of the poem and is typical of MacCaig’s work.

Context • In this 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.

Maccaig’s main ideas • MacCaig wonders why the priest is looking after the needs of the tourists and is ignoring the needs of the dwarf. • He realises that the spirit of St Francis is not found inside the church, or in the priest but in the inner beauty of the dwarf.

Themes • Hypocrisy • Religion • Man’s inner nature • Inward nature versus outward appearance

Stanza 1 • The dwarf with his hands on backwards • “The dwarf” - A derogatory comment that makes the beggar seem almost medieval. • “Hands on backwards”: Illustrates the extent of his deformity – noticed by MacCaig when he sees the man begging.

sat, slumped like a half-filled sack • Alliteration used to draw our attention to the shape made by the beggar. • ‘S’ sound like hissing of deflating balloon. • Word choice of ‘slumped’ shows he has no energy/is defeated. • Simile - comparison between the dwarf and a sack - there’s something lacking/missing in both. Shows similarity in size and shape.

on tiny twisted legs from which sawdust might run , • Yet another description that focuses on the dwarf’s deformities illustrating that he lacks muscle tone and his limbs aren’t strong enough to carry him. • Attention drawn via use of Alliteration.

outside the three tiers of churches built • “Outside” - Word choice shows the beggar is outside society as well as the church - he’s not clean enough to go inside • “three tiers of churches” - Large, ostentatious, extravagant set of buildings (like a wedding cake).

in honour of St Francis, brother of the poor, talker with birds , over whom • All the things St. Francis is famous for - giving away his wealth, took an oath of poverty and fully immersed himself in the teachings of Jesus Christ.

he had the advantage of not being dead yet. • The fact that he is alive is the only thing that the dwarf has going for him.

The initial focus of the poem is the beggar who sits on the steps of the basilica. The imagery is almost grotesque and emphasises the terrible condition of this man with his hands on backwards. The sibilance of the simile sat, slumped like a half-filled sack creates an incredibly vivid image suggesting that he can barely support his own frame. The sack metaphor continues in the description of his tiny twisted legs from which/sawdust might run. This figure is no longer a man but merely the deformed shell of a human being filled with stuffing.

The lack of movement or animation in the description of the dwarf conveys the impression that he has lost any spark of life or vitality. The effect of MacCaig’s imagery is almost that the beggar is dehumanised, that he is more an object than a man. As this stanza continues, MacCaig deliberately juxtaposes this pitiful, crooked, pathetic individual against the grand backdrop of the “three tiers of churches” that comprise the basilica. What is being emphasised here is the incongruity that such an architecturally complex building was used to honour a priest with such simple, plain tastes and philosophies. St Francis himself is alluded to here brother/of the poor, talker with the birds.

The speaker reveals a fundamental disconnect between what St Francis represented and the way he is now honoured, not through acts of compassion and empathy but in the building of lavish, expensive constructions like the basilica.

The final lines of the first stanza create a bitter, caustic tone as the speaker wryly notes how, unlike St Francis, the dwarf had the advantage/of not being dead yet. The effect of these lines is to suggest that being alive is the only thing the beggar has in his favour, 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. The final word “yet” has a sinister effect, suggesting that the beggar will not survive this pitiful way of life for much longer.

Stanza 2 Stanza 2 • A priest explained • Official representative of the Catholic Church. • “Explained” - He is talking about the PAINTINGS and not about the word of God.

how clever it was of Giotto • Giotto painted the 12 stations of the cross i.e. Jesus’ last day alive.

to make his frescoes tell stories that would reveal to the illiteratethe goodness • “illiterate” – Word Choice - The great unwashed masses, the ignorant (and stupid?).

of God and the suffering of His Son . . • The message of the bible that the church should PRACTISE as well as PREACH.

I understood the explanation andthe cleverness. • “Explanation” - MacCaig criticises the patronising behaviour and attitude of the church. • “The cleverness” – MacCaig believes The Catholic Church is marketing and making money. Also, MacCaig recognised how people are controlled and manipulated.

In the second stanza, our attention moves away from the beggar to a priest who is showing tourists around the church. • The mood changes from the pity elicited by the beggar to anger, as the speaker notes how the priest fawns over the cleverness of the artist Giotto to reveal to the illiterate the goodness/of God and the suffering/of His Son. • This heavy irony emphasises the hypocrisy of the priest, supposedly a man devoted to the teachings of the Bible yet who seems utterly unaffected by the sight of the beggar. • The priest references the goodness and the suffering captured in the priceless frescoes, but seems more impressed with the depiction of these teachings than in actually practising them himself.

Again, the stanza ends on a caustic note as the speaker succinctly dismisses the expertise of the priest with the short sentence: I understood/ the explanation and/the cleverness. • It is clear that the speaker is offended by the obvious intellectual pride the priest demonstrates when he discusses Giotto’s work. • Again, the hypocrisy of the Church is revealed through the actions of the guide, since priests are supposed to be humble as well as compassionate. This priest is neither and MacCaig implies that intelligence without kindness has no value.

Stanza 3 • They flock after the priest like chickens. • Alliteration and onomatopoeia used to draw attention to the meaningless chatter. • A rush of tourists , clucking contentedly ,

fluttered after him as he scattered • “fluttered” - Describes the way the group moved eg putting-on cardigans and mantillas. • Continued idea of tourists as chickens. • “after him” - Mindlessly following the words of the priest (like some people apparently mindlessly follow the preaching of the Catholic Church?).

the grain of the Word. It was they who had passed • Continuation of farmyard imagery. • The priest is like a farmer feeding the chickens.

the ruined temple outside , whose eyes • “ruined temple” - Reference to the dwarf. His body is wrecked. Destroyed. • Contrasts with the magnificence of the church he is sitting against - juxtaposition. • “Outside” - Again showing that the beggar is not welcome in society or in organised religion as he has been ignored by the priest.

wept pus, whose back was higher than his head, • Emphasis on the continued build-up of physical deformities to disgust and repulse us. • Furthering our image of the dwarf and building a visual picture.

whose lopsided mouth said Grazie in a voice as sweet • “Grazie” - In response to MacCaig giving him money? • MacCaigdidn't ignore the beggar - he helped him. • He lived the teachings of Christ and the message of St Francis - he practised what was preached, unlike the priest who did not.

as a child's when she speaks to her mother • or a bird's when it spoketo St Francis. • Unexpected. • The dwarf may be ugly on the outside, but he is beautiful on the inside. • Simile to show how attractive his voice was. • Unlike the Catholic Church which might seem to be beautiful on the outside but is shown to be ugly and hypocritical on the inside.

Now our attention turns to the tourists who seem impressed with their tour guide and the mood changes again as the speaker sardonically compares them to a flock of chickens clucking contentedly with dumb, blind obedience as they fluttered after him. • This disparaging analogy reveals the contempt that the speaker holds for the tourists who, just like the priest, are oblivious to, and unaffected by, the plight of the poor dwarf. Again the metaphor of them as little more than farmyard poultry is extended as the priest is described as leading them by scattering the grain of the Word.

This is a deliberately ironic allusion to the biblical Parable of the Sower in which Jesus uses the symbol of seeds to represent the word of God. While some of the seeds eventually take root and bear fruit, many are lost or ruined. This implies that, while the tourists listen to the priest's words, their true meaning is lost on them and they defer to the priest unquestioningly just as the Church expects its members to defer to it. • The tone becomes almost accusatory as the speaker once again focuses on the beggar as he considers the apathetic response of the other tourists to his presence: It was they who had passed/the ruined temple outside.

The syntax of these lines emphasises the word “they” simplying that the speaker feels no affinity with the others in the group, and that they have very different perspectives and attitudes towards the dwarf. • The comparison of the dwarf to a place of worship - a ruined temple is especially apt given the specific setting of the poem and is one of the most powerful metaphors used in the piece. • 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 man.

As MacCaig moves towards the end of the poem, he again provides a graphic, almost grotesque illustration of the extent of the beggar’s physical condition. • Describing how his eyes wept pus is especially unpleasant and reinforces the desperateness of the man’s existence as well as contrasting with the artistic beauty of the frescoes that attract the tourists. • He continues to emphasise the extent of the man’s physical problems, stating that his back is higher than his head and his mouth is lopsided to create an incredibly vivid image of the beggar.

This helps to make his final lines even more poignant as MacCaig uses a simile to capture the beauty of the beggar's voice. He speaks in a voice as sweet/as a child’s when she speaks to her mother. • This image is the antithesis of any other used to describe the man: a single attractive quality. • The comparison of him to a child emphasises his innocence and naiveté, and forces the reader to feel pity not only for his physical difficulties but also for his vulnerability and helplessness.

Ironically, despite the awfulness of his situation, the single word he speaks is grazie(thank you). • Instead of feeling bitter about his situation he is grateful for any small kindness shown him. • The final two lines in the poem compare the dwarf 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.

Themes • The main themes of this poem are suffering, poverty and the hypocrisy of the Church. • Suffering • Suffering is a central concern of the poem. MacCaig’s imagery, when describing the figure outside the basilica, makes us pity him for his condition. What is clear, however, is that the suffering figure gets little, if any, attention. The tourists spend time in the basicila itself, obediently following their guide, but we are told that they passed the beggar by - we do not get the impression that anyone stopped or considered his situation. • In essence then, MacCaig forces us to see that society has become blind and apathetic to the suffering of others. It is perhaps deliberately ironic that in order to truly appreciate the art of Giotto, a keen sense of sight is required, yet neither the tourists nor the priest can see the plight of the pitiful existence of this human being.

Poverty • Poverty is also a prominent theme. The existence of poverty in a world which has built great monuments (like the Basilica of St Francis) suggests a fundamental imbalance within society - the chasm that exists between those with money and those without. This message is as pertinent today as it has ever been. We are part of a generation that cites compassion fatigue in response to charitable appeals. It is not enough to tell people that suffering exists and help is needed, so charities employ increasingly emotive imagery to encourage people to donate. • The speaker’s suggestion that the sight of the ruined man outside the church is unremarkable to most reveals the extent of this apathy. Another important irony, of course, is that the beggar sits against the magnificent backdrop of the church built to honour St Francis, who dedicated his life to the poor.

The hypocrisy of the Church • The powerful contrast between the ruined temple of the beggar and the beautiful basilica reveals how far the church has deviated from the key teachings of Christ, who taught that the poor and marginalised in society were of equal value to those with status and wealth. Similarly, MacCaig’s caustic depiction of the arrogant vanity of the priest, showing off his knowledge of Giotto to impress the tourists, provokes us to contrast his lack of empathy and compassion with that of St Francis.

Norman MacCaig “Scottish Text Question” Assisi