Though from the poet's own life history and his uncompromising and polemic attitude to church rites, one might be led to expect verse of intense spiritual contemplation, the Ghiella evinces more of a light-hearted, earthy ballad tone, using Variboba's native Calabria as a background for the nativity and transforming the devout characters of the New Testament into hearty eighteenth-century Calabrian peasants.
Though the poet's life experiences and his strong stance against church rituals might lead one to expect profound spiritual contemplation, Ghiella presents a lighthearted, folksy ballad style, using Variboba's native Calabria as a setting for the nativity story and transforming the devout characters of the New Testament into hearty 18th-century Calabrian peasants.