Assisi by Norman MacCaig - Literature Review

Hence, the one-word title, before even being aware of the situation of the poem, is Vakantie Assisi skilfully used by MacCaig to introduce the theme of hypocrisy.This theme, together with corruption in the modern Church, is developed throughout the poem. St Francis was a humble man, who would not have cared for opulent cathedrals being built in his name. He surrendered such riches to help people like the dwarf, therefore the fact that he sits outside hungry and destitute is deeply ironic. Other techniques are employed by the poet to emphasise this. For example, the enjambement of this line highlights the large scale of the building. Similarly, MacCaig changes the expected syntax of the last line of this stanza "Of not being dead yet" to emphasize the irony. This inversion also reflects inequality and injustice, whilst simultaneously perpetuating a disconcerting tone.In the second stanza, we are introduced to the priest who is conducting a guided tour of Giotto's frescoes inside the church. This is poignant because it illustrates the corruption prevalent in the Church. The frescoes were originally commissioned to teach the poor the stories from the Bible. In Assisi, they are being used as a source for capital gain, and not for spiritual development, as was their original purpose. The priest's role has been diverted from that of a spiritual guide, to that of a tour guide and MacCaig uses a self-deprecating tone in this stanza to underline the palpable hypocrisy. He also reveals his contempt for a social duality; that great riches and great poverty often exists side by side. This is evident from the lines "... I understood/The explanation and/The cleverness". Enjambement is used by MacCaig to great effect here, showing his contempt for the priest's neglect, and by extension, society's neglect.In the final stanza, MacCaig uses other techniques to explore the main themes. Firstly, he uses an extended metaphor the priest as a farmer. He describes a "rush" of tourists "clucking contentedly". The word "rush" connotes an absence of deliberation, suggesting that the tourists are unaware of the irony of the situation. The use of the alliteration and onomatopoeia alludes to the tourists being simple-minded and unthinking, like chickens. The metaphor is extended by describing the tourists as "fluttering", conjuring an image of them blindly following the priest, ignorant of any hypocrisy. Another technique used by MacCaig to reflect the main themes is also used here: "... as he scattered the grain of the word". This corruption of a phrase used in the Bible is deliberately intended to echo corruption of the Church's values. It also reflects that, in the poet's opinion, the priest has forgotten his spiritual responsibilities and the tone is rather disparaging.In the close of the poem, MacCaig further displays his revulsion and a sense of injustice. He tells us "it was they who had passed/The ruined temple outside". The word "they" conveys an accusatory tone. The group had failed to notice the dwarf's suffering, too absorbed and shallow to realise how hypocritical they were being: it is here we learn that the poet is repulsed by this situation. The juxtaposition of "ruined temple" conveys a powerful message. The word "ruined" symbolises the dwarf's broken physical exterior, whilst in contrast, the word "temple" symbolises the dwarf's perfect and sacred interior i.e.