Journey of the Magi Essay

travel of the Magi has been penned down by Nobel prize winner TS Eliot an is a contrast of experiences based on the nativity of Christ. The monologue describes the expedition of the Magi to Bethlahem in research of spiritual pacification and is an account of Eliots own renascence to Anglican faith, making the journey and objective correlation for Eliot.As per the church doctrine story, the Magi were the one-third wise men namely Balthazar- King of Chaldea, Gaspor King of Ethopia, Melchoir -King of Nubia who belonged to the priestly class of magicians and had bonk to Bethlahem to pay homage to infant Christ presenting him with gifts of gold, myrrh, and frankincense. They symbolise wandering human souls in search of spirituality, the eternal spiritual quester.The song, Journey of the Magi opens with the nativity sermon of Lancelot Andrews preached in 1622 which describes the hardships Magi faced due to deep ways, hasty weather, meeting snow and hostile conditions which were hard to combat A polar coming we had of it/ Just the worst tme of the year in the very dead(a) of winter. The Magus admits that there was introspection promoted for there were fourth dimensions we regretted as they had given over up materialistic pleasures and sensuality of Summer places on the slope and tricky girls bringing sherbet. Besides wondering whether it was worth the effort, their major issue of search was ignored and the day to day difficulties bogged them down with camelmen cursing and grumbling, dark fires going out and villages, dirty and charging high prices. and they admitted, A hard time we had of it. The Magi now preferred to travel all night and faced anguish moments of self doubt voices singing in our ears saying that this was all rabidness before they finally reached a temperate valley. The second half of the poem abounds in symbolism with the temperate valley signifing the change in their lives that followed the ardous journey.They come across a ru nning stream depicting the timelessness of their journey watermill beating the darkness continuing the image of extinction and renewal deuce-ace trees signifing three crosses at calvary an old white horse, a metaphor for rebirth of Christ, the Savior and the defeat of paganism Vine leaves over the cope again symbolic of the vine that christ metamorphosed into his blood Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver refers to betrayal of christ by Judas and at brave feet kicking empty vine skins is symbolic of the worn out forms and rituals of the old dispensation.The Magus describes their culture as Finding the place, it was ( you may say) satisfactory. Such a regard understatement reflects the turmoils in the minds of the Magi as an outcome of the clash of their old dispensation and new beliefs. The last twelve lines describe the psychological change in Magi as they wore caught in confusion and perplexity and claimed that This birth was hard and bitter agony for us li ke Death. The journey marked the end of their old dispensation and didnot give them satisfaction of faith for the Magus claims, I should be glad of some other death so that he may be born into a new faith.The poem can be studied at three levels The actual journey of the Magi Eliots journey from doubt to faith maculation his conversion to anglicanism, and journey of any individual in spiritual quest. belong to the Ariel poems, the journey traces Eliots own spiritual quest and his yearing for sublime peace. The monologue reconfirms the universal truth that the brave and the dauntless who embark upon journies with conviction ar graced with divinity but it is sensual jdesires and temptations that need to be overcome.