Giuseppe by Roderick Ford — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

Giuseppe My Uncle Giuseppe told me that in Sicily in World War Two, in the courtyard behind the aquarium, where the bougainvillea grows so well, the only captive mermaid in the world was butchered on the dry and dusty ground by a doctor, a fishmonger, and certain others. She, it, had never learned to speak because she was simple, or so they’d said, but the priest who held one of her hands while her throat was cut, said she was only a fish, and fish can’t speak. But she screamed like a woman in terrible fear. And when they took a ripe golden roe from her side, the doctor said this was proof she was just a fish and anyway an egg is not a child, but refused when some was offered to him. Then they put her head and her hands in a box for burial and someone tried to take her wedding ring, but the others stopped him, and the ring stayed put. The rest they cooked and fed to the troops. They said a large fish had been found on the beach. Starvation forgives men many things, my uncle, the aquarium keeper, said, but couldn’t look me in the eye, for which I thank God.

Translation (English)

Giuseppe My Uncle Giuseppe told me that in Sicily during World War Two, in the yard behind the aquarium, where the bougainvillea grows well, the only captive mermaid in the world was killed on the dry and dusty ground by a doctor, a fish seller, and some others. She, it, never learned to speak because she was simple, or so they said, but the priest who held her hand while her throat was cut, said she was just a fish, and fish can't talk. But she screamed like a terrified woman. And when they took a ripe golden egg from her side, the doctor said this proved she was just a fish and anyway an egg isn't a child, but he refused when some was offered to him. Then they put her head and hands in a box for burial and someone tried to take her wedding ring, but the others stopped him, and the ring stayed. The rest they cooked and fed to the soldiers. They said a big fish was found on the beach. Hunger excuses many things, my uncle, the aquarium keeper, said, but he couldn't look me in the eye, for which I thank God.

About the Poet

Roderick Ford (Contemporary)

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

Historical Context

Literary Form: Free verse
When Written: Contemporary era, specific date unknown
Background: The poem 'Giuseppe' by Roderick Ford explores themes of war, morality, and the dehumanization that can occur in extreme circumstances. It reflects on the moral compromises made during wartime and the blurred lines between humanity and monstrosity.

Sources: https://genius.com/Roderick-ford-giuseppe-annotated, https://poemanalysis.com/roderick-ford/giuseppe/, https://www.roderickford.com/giuseppe/

Detailed Explanation

The poem 'Giuseppe' by Roderick Ford tells a haunting story set during World War Two in Sicily. The narrator recounts a tale told by his Uncle Giuseppe about a mermaid who was captured and killed by a group of men, including a doctor and a fishmonger. The mermaid, described as simple and unable to speak, is dehumanized and treated as a mere fish. Despite this, she screams in fear, highlighting her sentience and the moral ambiguity of the act. The poem explores themes of dehumanization, the moral compromises made during wartime, and the justifications people use to excuse their actions. The mermaid's roe is used as proof of her being a fish, yet the refusal to eat it suggests an underlying recognition of her humanity. The burial of her head and hands, along with the attempt to steal her wedding ring, further complicates the narrative, suggesting a struggle between acknowledging her as a being with human-like attributes and reducing her to a mere resource. The poem ends with the uncle's inability to meet the narrator's gaze, indicating guilt and shame. The poem uses vivid imagery and a narrative style to engage with complex moral questions about humanity, identity, and the impact of war on ethical boundaries.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
bougainvillea	a flowering plant	a type of plant with colorful flowers	boo-gain-vil-ee-uh
captive	imprisoned	kept as a prisoner	kap-tiv
butchered	killed brutally	killed in a very violent way	boo-cherd
fishmonger	fish seller	a person who sells fish	fish-mong-er
simple	not intelligent	not very smart	sim-pul
roe	fish eggs	fish eggs	roh
troops	soldiers	military personnel	troopz
starvation	extreme hunger	extreme lack of food	star-vay-shun
aquarium	a place for aquatic animals	a place where fish live	uh-kwair-ee-um
mermaid	mythical sea creature	a sea creature with a woman's upper body and a fish's tail	mur-mayd
dehumanization	treating people as less than human	making someone seem less human	dee-hyoo-muh-nuh-zay-shun
wedding ring	ring symbolizing marriage	a ring that shows someone is married	wed-ing ring
forgives	pardons	lets go of anger	fur-givz
burial	act of burying	putting a dead body in the ground	ber-ee-ul
excuses	justifies	reasons to explain	ik-skyoos-iz