Journey of the Magi - Poem Explanation- TS Eliot
About 'TS Eliot
TS Eliot (1888-1965) poet, critic and dramatist was born in St Louis and British by second qua one of the most distinguished poets and critics of the second quarter of the twentieth century. His early poetry depicting the urban landscape expresses disgust with the rootlessness of modern life. Considered to be a representative modern poem, Eliot's 'The Waste Land" (1922), a long poem in five parts, is highly complex and reveals the impotence and barrenness of modern life devoid of belief. It is interesting to note that Eliot later found his belief in the Church of England. Eliot's poetry is highly allusive. It makes high demands on the reader's intelligence and requires a very extensive background of reading. One finds apparently unconnected ideas or statements juxtaposed. References to great literature of the past symbolising past splendours are placed side by side with the mundane while apparently casual speech co-exists with highly elevated speech.
'Journey of the Magi' is one of the four Ariel Poems. Originally it was meant to be a sort of Christmas card with illustrations by the artist Mcknight Kauffer, published by Faber in 1927. It is in the form of a dramatic monologue. One of the three magi in his old age recalls his experience of the journey undertaken to see the Christ child in Bethlehem. The first verse describes the hardships of the long journey made more difficult by bad weather and hostile people. The second verse is an evaluation of the significance of the Incarnation. The third discusses the death of the old faith and order replaced by the revolution of Christianity. In the fourth, the magus, in his old age, interprets the meaning of the Incarnation and now displaced out of his own pagan faith after the revelation of Christ, waits for death the reliever.
Two features of the poem need to be specially mentioned: the intense significance of the journey contrasted with the understatement of its narrative and the frequent images during the journey which foretell events in Christ's life.
'Journey of the Magi' Poem
'A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a long journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.'
And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces, And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling And running away, and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty and charging high prices:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night, Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying That this was all folly.
Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,
And three trees on the low sky.
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,.
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wine-skins.
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.
All this was a long time ago, I remember, And I would do it again, but set down
This, set down
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly, We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms, But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods,
I should be glad of another death.
Glossary
Title. Magi plural of Magus pronounced, 'Majai'. The three wise men from the East who visited the infant Christ in the stable manger at Bethlehem and made offerings.
Line 4. deep full of mud, snow
Line 5. dead of winter intensely cold, Christ's birth (25 December), the middle of winter
Line 6. galled sore through continuous travel
Line 6. refractory obstinate, resistant, stubborn
Line 10. sherbet a cooling fruit drink
Line 22. vegetation signifying the birth of Christ
Line 24. three trees three crosses during Christ's crucifixion
Line 25. white horse a symbol for Christ-the conquering hero, spotless white colt on which Christ rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday
Line 26. lintel stone over the doorway
Line 27. dicing throwing a dice for betting; casting lots
Line 28. wine-skins leather bottles used to hold wine
Line 33. set down write down; make a note of
Line 41. old dispensation old order especially a religious order
Line 42. alien strange, unfamiliar
Line 42. clutching their gods clinging to pagan idolatry and superstition.
Explanatory Notes
Lines 1-20. These lines are adapted from a Christmas sermon preached before King James at Whitehall, the royal palace, by Lancelot Andrews (1555-1626), Bishop of Winchester on Christmas Day, 1622. The old Magus is reminded of the cold and inclement weather and all the travails of their journey to Bethlehem. The tone of doubt that theirs is a foolish endeavour is very well depicted in the seventh line. The Magi had set out after they had seen a bright star in the sky. They deduced that the star signalled the birth of a great king, an extraordinary event. Their deduction could have proved incorrect. Though the mission and its objective is intensely significant, the narrative is characterised with understatement. It is for the readers to realise the intensity of the Magi's sufferings, their strong faith and corresponding strong doubts about their own conviction and an objective review of all this after so many years.
Lines 21-25. The three trees that appeared at dawn perhaps symbolise the three crosses that were erected on Calvary for Christ and the two thieves who were crucified with him. The incarnation of Christ is fulfilled in the atonement achieved through his sacrifice. The birth of Christ reminds one of his death too. The galloping old white horse also symbolises Christ.
Line 26-27. The cruelty and callousness in the world where Christ was born. The three men casting dice is an allusion to the betrayal of Christ by Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, for thirty pieces of silver (Mathew 26:15) and the Roman soldiers casting lots for the seamless robe of Christ at the site of the crucifixion (Mathew 27:35).
Lines 29-31. Note the element of irony and tone of understatement in 'not a moment too soon', 'it was satisfactory'. Also notice the conversational idiom. A contrast is made between the significance of the event - Christ's birth and the casual tone of the narrative. The Magi reached the place tired and any further delay would make their visit meaningless.
Lines 33-39. The Magus addresses this account of the journey to an imaginary listener. He ponders over the meaning of Christ's birth-the Incarnation' and though earlier doubtful of the journey, would repeat it. The purpose of Christ's birth which was to redeem the world through love and sacrifice is fulfilled only through his death. Thus the Nativity i.e., Christ's birth, is a form of death. The coming of Christ replaced the old moral and spiritual order of the world by establishing a new order. The Magi who were pagans earlier, also accepted Christianity thereby giving up their old selves.
Lines 40-43. The Magi were deeply influenced by their experience. After their return to their kingdoms they realised that they were now out of place. While they embraced Christianity, their subjects continued to worship their pagan gods. The old Magus now alienated from his people but totally transformed spiritually because of the experience of the Nativity, longs for death because death alone shall bring him release.
Conclusion
Journey of the Magi is one of the Interesting work written by TS Eliot. There are many questions asked in English Literture exams. Hope this post will help you knowing about TS Eliot and poem 'Journey of the Magi.
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