Critical Analysis of The Journey of the Magi - Essay Example

Jodi Price Critical Analysis of The Journey of the Magi. T. S. Eliot’s The Journey of the Magi is the account of the journey of the Three Kings of the Orient to the scene of Christ’s Nativity. It takes the form of a monologue by one of the Magi, in which he recounts the hardships of the journey and contemplates his mystic experience of the Birth of Jesus and its’ impact on his life. Eliot skillfully uses a wealth of imagery and symbolism to highlight this poignant recital of one mans’ pilgrimage of faith and self-discovery, which is widely acknowledged to reflect the poets’ own journey from agnosticism to belief and his conversion to the Anglican Church in 1927 - the year in which The Journey of the Magi was written (Basu, 7-25, cited in Streeter, American Literature Research and Analysis Web site). The symbolism, replete with Biblical allusions, is open to a fair amount of ambiguity in its’ interpretation. However, when we allow ourselves to “pile image upon image and see where it leads you” (Logue, Sermon on 6 January, 2001), what emerges is an unequivocal affirmation of the worth of the arduous voyage. In each of the three paragraphs, it is hope which emerges as the transcendental motif. Eliot’s symbolism in The Journey of the Magi is evocative of hope and not despair. The first paragraph lists the tribulations of the journey: from inclement weather, inhospitable terrain, recalcitrant camels and servants, the hostile populace and dearth of even basic amenities like warmth and shelter, to cautionary voices pointing out the absurdity of this voyage. The Magus regrets leaving behind the luxury of his palace. He admits, “A hard time we had of it” (Eliot, 16). But all the privation encountered does not deter the Magi. They do not surrender to despair or heed the admonition of the mocking inner voices. On the contrary, their resolve hardens and they “preferred to travel at night” (Eliot, 17), hastening forward in the confidence and hope that that their belief in the significance of the journey will be vindicated ultimately. Similarly, the second paragraph commences and concludes on a note of hope. The enlightenment of dawn, the serenity of a “temperate valley” (Eliot, 21), with its’ connotations of fertility and plenty, the “running stream” (Eliot, 23) alluding to Christ as the ‘living waters’ of Biblical thought, which can satisfy every spiritual want and the defeat of the darkness of ignorance and despair by the water-mill are all unambiguous symbols of hope, as is the arrival at the scene of the Nativity. “It was (you may say) satisfactory” (Eliot, 31) may strike one as a masterpiece of understatement but, nevertheless, it does express content. The image of “the three trees on the low sky” (Eliot, 24), is definitely symbolic of the three crosses at the site of Christ’s crucifixion on Mount Calvary. While this picture does evoke the sorrow and the pain of Christ’s sacrifice, the shadows of darkness are immediately illuminated by the image of the promised dawn conjured up by the “low sky.” Christ’s crucifixion is but the gateway to a limitless horizon of new beginnings. The low sky is the harbinger of many dawns to come. Thus the three trees constitute “a negative image relating to Christ’s death but on the other hand, a positive image relating to Christ’s sacrifice for humanity” (Finley, American Literature Research and Analysis Web site). The “white horse,” (Eliot, 25) as in St. Johns’ Book of Revelations, represents death: the death of sin and the death of the old ways (Logue, Sermon on 6 January 2001). Death is vanquished and driven away by the dawn of a new belief. This is followed by images of decay and dissipation, evoked by men “dicing for pieces of silver/ And feet kicking the empty wine-skins” (Eliot, 27 – 28). This is an obvious allusion to Judas’ betrayal of Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and also to the soldiers casting lots for Jesus’ clothes at the foot of the cross after the crucifixion. Once again, this picture of waste and emptiness is immediately countered by the preceding hope of fulfillment, represented by the fertile symbolism of the “vine-leaves over the lintel” (Eliot, 26), whose promised harvest will fill the empty wine-skins with the new wine of faith in Jesus. The inn with “an open door” (Eliot, 27) represents the mansion of God the Father, into which Jesus has promised entry to all true believers: “In my Fathers’ House are many mansions: … I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2, King James Bible). Salvation is an open door, always accessible and within the reach of every true seeker of Christ. A warm welcome awaits every traveler at the end of his weary pilgrimage. The poems ultimate declaration of hope resides in the staunch assertion of the Magus in the last paragraph: “And I would do it again,” he says (Eliot, 33). Just as he acknowledges the rigors of their quest in the beginning, the Magus now concedes that the birth of Christ was “hard and bitter agony for us” (Eliot, 39). He is perplexed by the implications of the Divine birth and admits that he is yet to grasp the true significance of this “Birth … like Death” (Eliot, 38 – 39). The reconciliation of these two extremes is still a mystery to him. However, his ruminations on birth and death are in no way identified with despair. Running through it all is the message that the looming death of Christ is symbolic of the death of the old ways and also of the death of mankind’s past sins, which are washed away by Christ’s sacrifice. The Death carries in it the inherent hope of the resurrection and freedom from the despair of sin and the beginning of a new life in Christ. Even in the midst of his sense of alienation, as he attempts to pick up the threads of his old life, the Magus clings to the promise of salvation and anticipates with joy a renewed birth after death. The Journey of the Magi ends on an unequivocal note of hope: the Magus declares, “I should be glad of another death” (Eliot, 43). Throughout The Journey of the Magi, we find a juxtaposition of positive and negative images (Finley, American Literature Research and Analysis Web site). But, in every case, it is the image of hope which endures. The adversity of the journey only strengthens the resolve to hasten towards redemption; the dark past is driven away by the dawn of a better future; the agony of the Crucifixion is countered by the glory of the Resurrection; dissolution needs but to step across the lintel of the open door to salvation; empty wine-skins but wait to be filled with the new wine of a rich harvest of grapes; death is but the triumph of the birth of a new life. Undoubtedly, Eliot’s symbolism in The Journey of the Magi is an affirmation of the ultimate triumph of hope over despair. Works Cited. Wohlpart, Jim. American Literature Research and Analysis Web Site. 1997. Florida Gulf Coast University. T.S. Eliot. ‘The Journey of the Magi.’ Accessed on 6 November 2006. Finley, Preston D. Nature and Conversion Imagery in T.S. Eliot’s The Journey of the Magi’: A Review of Criticism in Books. Streeter, Mitzi. The Magi’s Human Conversion Experience: A Review of Selections on T.S. Eliot’s The Journey of the Magi. < http://itech.fgcu.edu/faculty/wohlpart/alra/eliot.htm#biography > Logue, Frank. The Journey of the Magi. January 6 2001. Sermon at King of Peace Episcopal Church, Kingsland, Georgia. Accessed on 7 November 2006. < http://www.kingofpeace.org/sermons/sermon-010602.htm > Bible. King James’ Version. Accessed on 7 November 2006. < http://www.godrules.net/library/kjv/kjvjoh14.htm > Read More