Journey of the Magi

T.S. Eliot does a strange thing with the story of Jesus' birth. It is more about the magi's spiritual journey and the transition he makes after the birth of Jesus. In the beginning stanza, we, the readers, are given illusions detailed with the corrupt life seen throughout the journey. We are given images of drunkenness, lust, greed, cursing, hostile, and unfriendly characters in the first stanza mixed with elements of the harsh cold. Lines 19-20 read: "With the voices singing in our ears, saying/ That this was all folly." The magi are seeing these hostile cities and they aren't just told that they're wrong in following to watch the birth- the people of the cities are singing- proclaiming in loud, possibly jovial, mocking voices- that it is all folly- foolish. The hard-ships of this journey only add to the tension for the narrator, yet the reader knows what is going to happen and has to wonder what will happen to the narrator when the baby is born?

The scene quickly changes in the second stanza as the narrator reaches a valley (an environment safely tucked away between two mountains), where below the snow line there is vegetation and a running stream (new life), and the environment changes from the city to natural. Strategically placed for the readers, the narrator sees three trees on a low sky (perhaps a symbol of the crucifixion). Yet still the baby has not been born and again at the next tavern we see 6 (the number of the beast) greedy hands at and open door dicing for silver next to empty wine-skins. That's still not the right place for this baby to be born so they continue until they find the most humble setting at the very last minute. Then the narrator continues that this birth was like death. It was "Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death." Why is this birth like death? Why is it so hard for the magi? Perhaps it is because it is the birth of the Son of God. It is a separation in the life of the magi because when he returns to his Kingdom, he no longer felt comfortable. All the people are seen as pagens, worshipping their false Gods. The magi died (in his ways of sin) at the birth of Jesus. The scene of this world in comparison to what he now knows only makes him look all the more forward to his actual death. Then he can be in Heaven and away from this world.

The perspective of this poem is quite unique and untraditional and I like it for that reason.