Topic > "Analysis of the Journey of the Magi

The speaker of TS Eliot's "Journey of the Magi" is one of the magi of the title, who outlines his arduous journey to witness the birth of Christ. What is interesting is that the tone of this poem is not one of wonder, but of helplessness. The man who witnesses such a pivotal moment in world history is not amazed, but simply exhausted, perhaps even resentful that he has been forced to leave the old order. witness this moment. His journey is in a certain sense compared to the suffering of Christ through the set of symbols and allusions present in the poem (the blood shed during the crucifixion) and many others draw a parallel between his journey and that of Christ. He projects a sense of isolation in a world that has changed too quickly for him to adapt to it as well as that of ambivalence. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay "A cold we had, just the worst time of year for a journey, and things like that. journey: The deep ways and the sharp weather, The death of winter. This poem begins with a sermon on Nativity of one Lancelot Andrewes (1662). Although at first glance it may appear to be just a quotation, it is important to analyze it as an example of anachronism that permeates the entire poem. Anachronism is essentially a discrepancy with chronology back and forth between different periods and the narrative is not chronologically linear. It is also important to note the tone of the poem from the beginning. The word “cold” at the beginning of the poem adds a sense of melancholy to the poem. Words like “cold” , “worse,” “sharp,” and “dead” make it abundantly clear that the speaker is not enjoying this journey and has no choice in it. This sets the tone of isolation in the “death of winter” found in the rest of the poem. And the sore, sore, refractory camels, lying in the melting snow. There were times when we longed for the summer palaces on the slopes, the terraces, and the silk girls who brought the sorbet. Perhaps the word “regretted” in this stanza encapsulates this part of the poem. Camels become irritated in their stubbornness, proving that nothing is in their favor. Immediately after delineating the isolated image in the present moment, the speaker juxtaposes it with his past pleasures, evoking a feeling of longing within him for his home where he had everything he desired. It is very important to note that there is a clear juxtaposition between the sense of isolation and helplessness in winter and that of absolute power and dynamism in the castle. Then the camel men curse, grumble, and run away, demanding their liquor and their women. , And the night fires that go out, and the lack of shelter, And the hostile cities and the hostile cities And the villages dirty and charging high prices: This is clearly a story of hardship and this idea is reiterated in this stanza. The speaker makes it clear that they have moved out of their comfort zone and have left a lot behind. It is not about adulation and wonder, but about suffering and difficulty. The setting is still dark and desolate, and he used a pathetic mistake to help nature reflect the speaker's mood. He says that everything around him is hostile, even the people he finally meets do not offer him shelter. We've had tough times. In the end we preferred to travel all night, sleeping fitfully, with voices singing among us. our ears, saying it was all madness. They accepted their situation and decided to travel all night. But even as they do so, they still feel resentful. At this point suffice it to say that a sense of regret initially began to cloud their minds and they did not want to face.