JOURNEY OF THE MAGI

Journey of the Magi

Thesis Statement

'Journey of the Magi' has been penned down by Nobel Prize winner TS Eliot and is a contrast of experiences based on the nativity of Christ.

Outline of the Paper

Introduction: this part provides the outline of the story. This is a simple story of the Magi who is tightly packed with significance, particularly in Eliot's use of allusion and symbolism.

Forms and Devices: this part provides information on what forms or devices used in making of this poem. It is a biblical symbolism.

Theme of the poem: this part provides the theme and subject of the poem as to what influenced the poet to write this poem.

Journey of the Magi

Introduction

This relatively simple story of the Magi is tightly packed with significance, particularly in Eliot's use of allusion and symbolism.

The poem bears echoes of authors who influenced Eliot's own spiritual journey, most notably Lancelot Andrewes. The poem opens with a quotation taken from Lancelot Andrewes's Nativity sermon, preached in 1622 to the Jacobean court. As he pointed out in his essay “Lancelot Andrewes” (Selected Essays, 1934), Eliot admired Andrewes's intellectual achievement, his ability to hold both intellectual idea and emotional sensibility in harmony, and his leadership in the church of seventeenth century England. Andrewes seemed to validate church membership for Eliot at a time when he was contemplating his own baptism into the church.

Forms and Devices

“Journey of the Magi” creates more interest, however, by its complex pattern of biblical symbolism, which intensifies in stanza 2 as the Magi approach Bethlehem and the birth of the Christ. The symbolism seems to accelerate, as does the journey itself, toward its fulfillment.

The valley they enter is cut by a flowing stream, suggesting Jesus' claim to be the Living Water in John 4:10-14, and this living stream powers a mill that seems to beat away the darkness, further suggesting Jesus' claim in John 8:12 to be the Light of the World. With the dawning of this light, however, the Magi see first of all a symbol of death — “three trees on the low sky,” or on the western horizon (Ackroyd, 2004).

As they enter the valley, an old white horse gallops away. The reference here cannot be to the white horse of Revelation 19:11, as some have assumed, since that horse bears the Christ at his second coming. Rather, it refers to the white horse of Zechariah 6:5, ...