My take on "Journey of the Magi"

I agree with most of what Dana is saying in her blog, but I think most of the power in the poem comes from the overall theme of the Magi trying to find himself after his expedition. My blog this week focuses mainly on that.

In truth, I think the birth of Jesus may not even be that important of an event in the context of the poem. Although it serves as the primary reason for the Magi to embark on their journey, it is not the final destination. In fact, the journey to find the new Savior only opens up more paths for the Magi to consider. While finding baby Jesus fulfilled their quest, it also left the Magi desiring more discovery for their own personal lives.

In Henley's poem "Invictus," the last two lines read: "I am the master of my fate \ The captain of my soul." The journey of the Magi reflects this spiritual journey as well, like when they first set out and say, "The ways deep and the weather sharp, \ The very dead of winter." I think these lines can be used to describe their spiritual states. The Magi, once reaching his destination, has a crisis of conscience when he realizes that there was more to his life than just seeing the newborn King. He thinks there is still more to his life that he has yet to live. At no point he asks, "Were we lead all that way for \ Birth or Death?" The Magi's journey gives them a shot at restarting their lives, a chance for immediate redemption, if only they choose to take it. They all see the future, but choose to return to their homelands. Once making that decision, they are stuck in a past of backwards cultures and traditions. The Magi sacrifices a chance to grow more in his life, but by the time he realizes he could have continued on a different path, he realizes he has stopped moving at the wrong time in his life.