Poetry Analysis

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Giuseppe

Original Poetry

Translation

My Uncle Giuseppe told me

that in Sicily in World War Two,

that during World War Two in Sicily,

in the courtyard behind the aquarium,

behind the aquarium in the courtyard,

where the bougainvillea grows so well,

where the bougainvillea grows well,

the only captive mermaid in the world

was butchered on the dry and dusty ground

was brutally killed on the dry ground

by a doctor, a fishmonger, and certain others.

by a doctor, a fish seller, and others.

She, it, had never learned to speak

She never learned to speak

because she was simple, or so they’d said,

because she was simple, they said,

but the priest who held one of her hands

but the priest holding her hand

while her throat was cut,

while they cut her throat,

said she was only a fish, and fish can’t speak.

said she was just a fish, and fish don't talk.

But she screamed like a woman in terrible fear.

But she screamed like a woman in great fear.

And when they took a ripe golden roe

When they took a ripe golden egg

from her side, the doctor said

this was proof she was just a fish

this proved she was just a fish

and anyway an egg is not a child,

and an egg isn't a child,

but refused when some was offered to him.

but he refused to eat it.

Then they put her head and her hands

They buried her head and hands

in a box for burial

in a box

and someone tried to take her wedding ring,

but the others stopped him,

but others stopped him,

and the ring stayed put.

and the ring stayed.

The rest they cooked and fed to the troops.

They cooked the rest and fed it to the soldiers.

They said a large fish had been found on the beach.

They said they found a big fish on the beach.

Starvation forgives men many things,

Starvation makes men do many things,

my uncle, the aquarium keeper, said,

but couldn’t look me in the eye,

but he couldn't look me in the eye,

for which I thank God.

and I thank God for that.

Explanation

The poem 'Giuseppe' by Roderick Ford is a haunting narrative that recounts a story told by the speaker's Uncle Giuseppe about a mermaid who was killed during World War II in Sicily. The mermaid, described as the only captive one in the world, is butchered by a group including a doctor and a fishmonger. The poem explores themes of dehumanization and moral ambiguity, highlighting how the mermaid is treated as less than human, justified by the claim that she is merely a fish. Despite this, her screams are described as those of a woman in fear, suggesting her humanity. The poem also touches on the desperation of wartime, as the mermaid's body is cooked and fed to soldiers under the guise of being a large fish found on the beach. The narrative is laced with guilt and shame, as evidenced by the uncle's inability to meet the speaker's eyes, reflecting the moral complexities and the loss of innocence during war. The poem uses vivid imagery and symbolism to convey the tragic and unsettling nature of the events, leaving the reader to ponder the ethical implications of survival at any cost.

Word Dictionary15

Word	In English	Plain (English)	Pron.
bougainvillea	a flowering plant	a tropical plant with bright flowers	boo-gain-vil-ee-a
captive	imprisoned	kept in confinement	kap-tiv
butchered	killed brutally	killed in a violent way	bu-cherd
fishmonger	fish seller	a person who sells fish	fish-muhng-er
roe	fish eggs	eggs of a fish	roh
troops	soldiers	military personnel	troo-ps
starvation	extreme hunger	lack of food	star-vay-shuhn
aquarium	a place with fish tanks	a building with tanks for aquatic animals	uh-kwair-ee-uhm
mermaid	mythical sea creature	a creature with a woman's upper body and a fish's tail	mur-mayd
wedding ring	marriage band	a ring symbolizing marriage	wed-ing ring
courtyard	open area	an open space surrounded by buildings	kort-yahrd
priest	religious leader	a person who performs religious ceremonies	preest
burial	act of burying	placing in the ground	ber-ee-uhl
forgives	excuses	pardons	for-givz
screamed	yelled loudly	cried out in fear	skreemd

Poet & Context

PoetRoderick Ford

EraContemporary

Roderick Ford is a contemporary poet known for his exploration of themes such as identity, history, and myth. His work often delves into the complexities of human nature and societal norms.

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WhenContemporary era

WhyThe poem 'Giuseppe' by Roderick Ford explores themes of guilt, humanity, and the moral complexities of war. It reflects on the dehumanization that occurs during wartime and the ethical dilemmas faced by individuals when survival is at stake.

FormNarrative Poem

Themes & More

Themes

dehumanizationmoral ambiguitywar and survivalguilt and shame

Literary devices

imagery: vivid descriptions of the courtyard and the mermaid's deathsymbolism: the mermaid represents innocence and the loss of humanitynarrative structure: the poem is a story within a story, told by the uncleirony: the mermaid is treated as a fish despite her human-like qualities