Norman MacCaig seems to have been inspired to write "Assisi" following an intense, emotional experience that he seems to have had when he visited the town. He uses numerous language techniques to make clear his personal feelings about his subjects.

"Assisi" is a poem in which the poet shows how disillusioned he is after seeing the elaborate:

"...three tiers of churches..."

dedicated to St. Francis. He seems to have actually witnessed the hypocrisy of the tourists and pilgrims who gather in crowds at this location. His choice of words and the methods he uses help him express his anger as what he sees as the betrayal of St Francis.

MacCaig uses imagery to good effect in this work. He expresses his contempt and disgust at the behaviour of the tourists towards a dwarf-like beggar by describing them in derogatory terms. His intention is to compare them to farmyard...