‘Assisi: Theme; Suffering’

Suffering is not just a theme in “Assisi,” it is the reality of the man begging outside the church—ignored, marginalised, and pitiful.
MacCaig uses the suffering of the dwarf to highlight the incongruence between the teachings of St. Francis, the saint of poverty and humility in whose honour the church was built, and the indifference of the modern world towards those in need.

The stark language that describes the disabled man— “sat, slumped like a half-filled sack”—provides an unflinching image of his suffering.
The phrase “twisted like a crooked branch” serves as a visual metaphor for the physical torment of his condition.
The dwarf’s physical deformity parallels his social and emotional marginalisation, resulting in a triple layer of suffering.

The opulent church of St. Francis, the saint who renounced wealth, becomes an ironic symbol of the apathy towards the suffering dwarf.
St. Francis himself, with his focus on humility and compassion, serves as a foil, a contrasting character to the people in the poem who ignore and overlook the suffering dwarf.

The dwarf’s suffering is highlighted by his isolation from the bustling church-goers who are more focused on the grandeur of the church than on the beggar outside.
MacCaig’s personal gaze remains fixed on the suffering man, creating a tension between the suffering of the individual and the indifference of society at large.

“Assisi” brings the theme of suffering into sharp focus by contrasting the harsh reality of the dwarf’s existence with the insulated and indifferent world around him. MacCaig uses vivid and stark language to depict the physical, social, and emotional suffering of the marginalised individually, in turn criticising a society that chooses to ignore those in need. The theme of suffering works on multiple levels to challenge our perspectives on social inequality, compassion, and indifference.