Critical Essay Suggested Paragraph Plan:

“Assisi” by Norman MacCaig

Paragraph 1: Introduction

include:

  • title and poet’s name
  • the main character and where the poet sees him
  • a description of the beggar in your own words
  • Make a reference to the question

Use the Point, Evidence Analysis formula to write your next eight paragraphs.

Point: make your point about what you wish to explain

Evidence: find a quotation that you can use as good evidence to back up the point you made.

Analysis: look at the quotation in detail, explaining the EFFECTS of the poet’s words, using critical vocabulary (metaphor, tone, irony, imagery, word choice etc.). Make sure you have referred to the question in this paragraph and the theme

Paragraph 2:

  • make a point about how the poet’s description of the beggar makes him seem less than human
  • quote a piece of evidence from the first three verses to support your point
  • analyse the quotation and make reference to the question

Paragraph 3:

  • make another point about how the poet makes the beggar seem less than human
  • quote another piece of evidence from the first three verses to support your point
  • analyse the quotation and make reference to the question and theme

Paragraph 4:

  • make a point about your impression of the priest
  • quote a piece of evidence to support your point
  • analyse the quotation and make reference to the question and theme

Paragraph 5:

  • make a point about your understanding of the last sentence in stanza 2
  • quote this last sentence
  • analyse it, explaining its relevance to the theme/s and the question

Paragraph 6:

  • make a point about the comparison MacCaig makes in stanza 3 when describing the priest and the tourists
  • quote a piece of evidence to support your point
  • analyse the quotation, explaining what MacCaig is saying about the tourists and the priest and making reference to the question and theme

Paragraph 7:

  • make a point about how MacCaig describes the beggar in stanza 3
  • quote a piece of evidence to support your point
  • analyse the quotation and make reference to the question and theme

Paragraph 8:

  • make a point about the beggar’s voice in the last 4 lines
  • quote the comparison
  • analyse the quotation and make reference to the question and theme

Paragraph 9:

  • write about what you have learned about the themes (isolation, the hypocrisy of organised religion, apathy about social injustice)
  • explain how the poem, or parts of the poem, helped you to understand those themes

Paragraph 10: conclusion

  • explain your feelings about the beggar and the way he has been neglected by the priest and the tourists
  • include some evidence from the poem to show that MacCaig feels that way too
  • sum up your final impression of the poem in one sentence
  • Check that ALL spelling and punctuation is accurate
  • Check that all quotations are accurate and have been set out properly