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15 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Word Choice/imagery. Poem begins with a negative and demeaning description of beggar. From the very start of the poem, it catches the reader's attention as it seems wrong. Highlights his deformities. Simile comparison to "half-filled sack" suggests he is less than human - a discarded object. |
"Dwarf with his hands on backwards" |
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Metaphor. Continues idea of dwarf as inanimate object. He is an object that is falling apart. |
"Slumped like a half - filled sack/on tiny twisted legs from which/sawdust might run" |
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Contrast/juxtaposition. Poet contrasts broken structure of beggar with powerful structure of church. |
"Outside the three tiers of churches built/in honour of St Francis" |
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Contrast/juxtaposition. Poet lists great achievements of St Francis in order to further contrast between Saint and beggar. Use of the word is a reminder that the only advantage the beggar has over St Francis will soon be gone. Bitter tone |
"Yet" |
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Hypocrisy. Inside the church, the priest tells simplified versions of bible stories to satisfy tourists. He is a hypocrite as he should be telling of the suffering of the beggar outside. |
"That he would reveal to the illiterate the goodness" |
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Bitter tone. The poet is unimpressed by the efforts of the priest to discuss the paintings. "cleverness" highlighted at end of line - ironic as the speaker does not think it is very clever. |
"I understood/the explanation and/the cleverness. |
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Metaphor. Comparing priest to farmer scattering seed for chickens. This negative image suggests the tourists have no personality and are unable to think for themselves |
"A rush of tourists, clucking contentedly,/fluttered after him as he scattered /the grain of the word." |
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Metaphor. Dwarf now directly juxtaposed with church. |
"ruined temple" |
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Structure. Poet lists a number of deformities the beggar has to further highlight his ugliness. This contrasts with the list of achievements of St Francis in verse 1. |
"Whose eyes/wept pus, whose back was higher/than his head, whose lopsided mouth" |
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Simile. Comparing the dwarf to a child is one of innocence - he is to be pitied. Despite all the horrific deformities of the dwarf, he has inner beauty which is unexpected. |
"a voice as sweet/as a child's when she speaks to her mother" |
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Structure. The poet ends with St Francis as the final image. A reminder that his message of helping the poor appears to have been lost. |
"St Francis" |
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Structure |
Free verse used throughout poem in order to better convey poet's experience. Verse 1 - The dwarf Verse 2 - The priest Verse 3 - The tourists |
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Tone |
Bitter and cynical towards the church and tourists. |
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Key themes |
The church - hypocrisy isolation of the disabled/ill Inner and outer beauty Social contrast/injustice |
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Themes connect with |
Visiting hour. |
