Assisi by Norman MacCaig National 4 and 5 English Ian Yule

Why this poem? It’s by a Scottish poet In National 5 English you are required to study Scottish Poets and Norman McCaig is one of the compulsory options In National 5 you will be required to write about ‘Assisi’ in the exam. In National 4 the assessment is your essay.

A true story Have you ever been on a guided tour of a castle or ancient church when on holiday? The poet, Norman McCaig, is on holiday in Italy and he tells us about his visit to the church at Assisi (narration). Then he thinks about the meaning of his experience (reflection).

Central Concern of the Text In the poem ‘Assisi’ the main character is a disabled dwarf – he is sitting begging beside a historic church. You would have expected the priests to have been concerned for him – instead they were caught up with the church’s artwork and looking after visitors. McCaig uses this event to consider the theme of hypocrisy.

Assisi

St Francis of Assisi

Verse 1 The dwarf with his hands on backwards Sat, slumped like a half filled sack On tiny twisted legs from which Sawdust might run, Outside the three tiers of churches built In honour of St Francis, brother Of the poor, talker with birds, over whom He had the advantage Of not being dead yet.

“Outside the three tiers of churches built in honour of St Francis, brother of the poor, talker with birds ….”

Three tiers of churches

Three tiers of churches

The basilica of St Francis

Verse 2 A priest explained How clever it was of Giotto To make his frescoes tell stories That would reveal to the illiterate the goodness Of God, and the suffering Of his son, I understood The explanation and The cleverness.

The artist Giotto (1267 – 1337) “How clever it was of Giotto to make his frescoes tell stories that would reveal to the illiterate the goodness of God and the suffering of his son …”

An example of a frescoe (wall painting)

Verse 3 A rush of tourists, clucking contentedly, Fluttered after him as he scattered The grain of the word. It was they who had passed The ruined temple outside, whose eyes Wept pus, whose back was higher Than his head, whose lopside mouth Said, Grazie in a voice as sweet As a child’s when she speaks to her mother Or a bird’s when it spoke To St Francis.

The tourists

The Tourists A rush of tourists, clucking contentedly, Fluttered after him as he scattered The grain of the word Just as a group of hens would be noisy and would happily run after someone feeding them with seed so too the group of tourists were noisy, unthinking and followed after the priests as they told their stories. The image suggests the tourists were happy with whatever the priests told them and didn’t give any thought to the dwarf.

The temple

The Temple It was they who had passed The ruined temple outside Just as an old building would be in ruins so too the dwarf’s life was now in pieces. The image suggests that God’s truth was not to be found inside the church but outside – if you feel compassion for those whose lives are in ruins.

In conclusion The priests were hypocritical in trying to teach about God’s love from the frescoes but at the same time ignoring the real life story outside of the church. The tourists were foolish and lacking in compassion by following the priests and ignoring the dwarf. McCaig reflects on this hypocrisy. The truth about God was not to be found in the church – but in the dwarf, it was his voice which said “Grazie” and “was as sweet as a child’s.”