Journey of the Magi

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Journey of the Magi Robyn Mclaughlin 'Journey of the Magi' was penned down by nobel prize winner TS Eliot and is a contrast of experiences based on the nativity of Christ. The monologue describes the journey of the Magi to Bethlahem in search of spiritual pacification and is an account of Eliot's own conversion to angelican faith. As per the Gospel story, the Magi were the three wise men who belonged to the priestly class of magicians and had come to bethlahem to pay homage to the infant christ by presenting him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Magi carry symbolism of the wandering human souls in the search for spirituality. To allow the reader to understand the different layers of the poem the poet uses techniques such as biblical allusions, symbolism and carefully thought out form and structure. Eliot chose the persona of the magus as he symbolised the experience of being stuck between two worlds. Although Eliot converted to the angelican faith he never fully felt assured in his faith, he used his own experience and feelings to shape the magus' outlook on the overall journey to be present for the birth of jesus. The intended impact of the poem was to show the reader that the path to enlightenment is not always easy however it is worth the effort. The first stanza opens with quite a negative view of the journey as it highlights the physical struggles that each of the Magi had alonng the way: "A cold coming we had of it" The use of alliteration on the harsh sound of the 'c' draws attention to the cold and alerts the reader to what time of year it is. This can be considered an unusual image to be associated with jesus as the birth of christ is normally considered to be a joyous event. The fact that the first five lines are in quotes highlights the fact that these lines were actually taken from a sermon by Lancelot Andrews who was a
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