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)

My Uncle Giuseppe told me that during World War Two in Sicily, in the courtyard behind the aquarium, where the bougainvillea grows well, the only captive mermaid in the world was killed on the dry ground by a doctor, a fish seller, and others. She never learned to speak because she was simple, they said, but the priest holding her hand while her throat was cut, said she was just a fish, and fish can't speak. But she screamed like a terrified woman. When they took a golden fish egg from her side, the doctor said this proved she was just a fish and an egg is not a child, but he refused to eat it. They buried her head and hands in a box and someone tried to take her marriage band, but others stopped him, and the ring stayed. The rest they cooked and fed to soldiers. They said a big fish was found on the beach. Extreme hunger excuses many things, my uncle, the aquarium keeper, said, but he couldn't look me in the eye, which I am grateful for.

About the Poet

Roderick Ford (Contemporary)

Roderick Ford is a contemporary poet known for his vivid storytelling and exploration of complex themes. His work often delves into historical and mythical narratives, blending them with modern sensibilities.

Historical Context

Literary Form: Narrative Poem
When Written: Published in 2005
Background: The poem 'Giuseppe' by Roderick Ford reflects on the moral complexities and dehumanization during wartime. It uses the allegory of a mermaid's execution to explore themes of guilt, survival, and the loss of innocence.

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

Detailed Explanation

The poem 'Giuseppe' by Roderick Ford is a narrative that recounts a disturbing tale told by the speaker's uncle about an event during World War II in Sicily. The uncle describes how a mermaid, captured and held behind an aquarium, was killed by a group of people, including a doctor and a fishmonger. The mermaid, unable to speak, is dehumanized and treated as a mere fish, despite screaming in fear, which evokes a sense of humanity. The poem explores themes of moral ambiguity and the justifications people make in desperate times, such as war. The mermaid's roe is used as evidence of her being a fish, yet the doctor refuses to consume it, highlighting his internal conflict. The burial of her head and hands, along with the attempt to steal her wedding ring, symbolizes the struggle between preserving dignity and succumbing to survival instincts. The poem ends with the uncle's inability to meet the speaker's eyes, suggesting guilt and shame for his role in the event. Through this allegory, Ford reflects on the loss of innocence and the moral compromises made during wartime.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
bougainvillea	a flowering plant	a type of plant with colorful flowers	boo-gain-vil-lee-ah
captive	imprisoned	kept in confinement	kap-tiv
butchered	killed violently	killed in a very violent way	boo-cherd
fishmonger	fish seller	a person who sells fish	fish-mong-er
priest	religious leader	a person authorized to perform religious rites	preest
roe	fish eggs	fish eggs	roh
starvation	extreme hunger	extreme lack of food	star-vay-shun
aquarium	place for aquatic animals	a place for keeping fish	uh-kwair-ee-um
mermaid	mythical sea creature	a sea creature with a woman's top half and a fish's tail	mur-mayd
wedding ring	marriage band	a ring that shows someone is married	wed-ding ring
troops	soldiers	military forces	troops
forgives	pardons	excuses or absolves	for-givs