T.S. Elliot

I actually had the privilege of reading "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" back in high school several years ago. Before I even re-read this poem for this post, I remembered feeling confused and surprised by the nature of the main character and speaker of this poem, Mr. J. Alfred Prufrock. What an interesting and self-loathing man! I think this kind of poetry shows the great divide in the type of literature that one would find in the Romantic or Victorian times as compared to the Modern period.

While I had already read "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," I had not been exposed to the "Journey of the Magi." This poem was very interesting to me. The poem gives an account of the wise men's journey to Bethlehem for Jesus' birth, rather than the common Christian or Biblical story of Joseph and Mary. I like the way Elliot presents the poem from the perspective of the wise men while capturing the Christian heart at the same time.

The poem begins as the speaker, one of the wise men, describes the journey that he made. He said it was "...Just the worst time of the year..." and that it was "...such a long journey" (2,3). The speaker in the poem seems unhappy about this trip, but describes it just the same. It seems that at that time, he wished he were doing something else. He continues to give more detail about the difficulty he experienced on his way: "And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,/ Lying down in the melting snow" (6-7). Because the weather was cold, the speaker had a hard time with his transportation. He explains that the camels did not want to walk and proceed on the journey, which made it even more difficult for him to continue on his way.

To make matters even worse, the speaker starts to remember how on his journey he and his fellow travelers "...regretted/ The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,/ And the silken girls bringing sherbet" (8-10). The speaker admits that it was hard for him not to think back on times past when he was comfortable and enjoying life. This is of course in direct contrast with the speaker's situation at hand. Fond memories of the past make continuing on the journey that much harder; so much harder in fact that he and his friends "regretted" even having these great past experiences that make him aware of his tribulation at present. This line of thinking conveys to the reader that the speaker probably wants to turn back and return home. Despite his annoyance with the journey, he continues on his way.

As the speaker continues to describe his journey, he begins to mention further complications that he experienced along the way in addition to bad weather, poorly behaved camels, and past memories. The speaker must really wonder what he was doing on this trip as he relates that there were "...night fires going out, and the lack of shelters,/ And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly/ And the villages dirty and charging high prices" (13-15). As if things were not already bad enough, the speaker recalls all the other inconveniences that he was forced to experience on his way. Nothing comes easy to the speaker on this journey. Once again, the reader may question why these wise men did not turn around and go home; it certainly would have been easier for them to go home than to struggle against the troubles they continued to encounter. Rather than give up, the wise men "...preferred to travel all night" rather than deal with difficult people and unwelcoming circumstances (17). Even sleeping during the day, they were left to ponder the "...voices singing in our ears, saying/ That this was all folly" (19-20). The wise men are told by those around them that there is no need for this journey; that it is nonsense in fact and that they are wasting their time. I am sure hearing this kind of negative talk made continuing on the journey almost unbearable. Still, the wise men continued on their way.

Finally, the men reach the "...temperate valley..." that the reader can assume is probably Bethlehem where Jesus us born. Upon reaching this area, the weather changes and so does the tone of the poem. While in the previous lines of the poem the speaker seems overcome by dark and troublesome images and events, coming to Bethlehem relates a new beginning:

"Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation,
With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness
And three trees on the low sky.
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow." (21-25)

Through the description given by the speaker, Elliot reveals a variety of positive images. Using words or phrases like "dawn," "temperate," "vegetation," "beating the darkness," "trees," and "white" all convey a positive and uplifting tone. The direction of the poem shifts when the wise men reach the city; Elliot seems to show the reader learns that being in the city of Jesus' birth brings new light in all kinds of ways.

The speaker reveals upon reaching their destination that they "...arrived at evening, not a moment too soon/ Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactorily" (30-31). Through all of the complexities of the journey, the speaker says that his destination is simply "satisfactory." While some may be surprised or even offended by this word, I think it fits perfectly with the Biblical story of Jesus. Although I believe Jesus was the most important and influential people that ever lived, he was not born in a palace with a golden manger. I do not think God planned it that way. In fact, his birth is all the more meaningful because being born in a stable shows the humanity of Jesus. This humanity allowed him to connect with people in a realistic way. For this reason, the word "satisfactory" is completely appropriate and proves the scene was more personal, and less showy than it could have been. I like the way Elliot really ties Biblical truths with his poetry here.

Further Biblical principles are revealed in the last, and most important, stanza in the poem. The speaker explains his recollection of the event and questions if they were "...led all that way for/ Birth or Death?" (35-36). Again, this line may at first seem strange and out of place; however, as a Christian, I see a strong connection with the speaker's line of thought and Christianity today. Many Christians, including myself, believe in not only a physical death, but also a spiritual death. In short, Christians believe that dying and being born again spiritually means that you acknowledge God is worthy of all praise and you commit your life to him and his will. Making this commitment is obviously difficult and does not ensure perfection, but in an eternal sense, it will be worth it one day. I think Elliot also believed in this principle. He further clarifies this belief through the voice of the speaker: "...this Birth was/Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death" (38-39). The speaker describes how this kind of (spiritual) death is very difficult. The speaker goes into even more detail when he explains that one of the hardest aspects of spiritual death and re-birth is giving up past sinful ways in hopes of living a holier life: "We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,/ But no longer at east here, in the old dispensation,/ With alien people cluthching their gods" (40-42). While the speaker was previously comfortable and very much a part of this kind of environment, his life changed upon his journey to see Jesus. Because of the difficult journey that he made, he knew that he could not return to his old way of life. Though the speaker toiled on his journey, he seems now grateful for that very special trip, as it changed his life and he "...should be glad for another death" (43). The speaker seems to be a changed man and though he remembers clearly how hard his journey was and how many times he wanted to turn back, it was meant to be the way it was and he is glad for it.

Another connection that I found in this poem to the Bible is the journey to Bethlehem. While the speaker describes how treacherous his trip was to Bethlehem, in the end, it changed his life. I think in the same way, many people travel long, difficult paths on the way to becoming a Christian. Despite the way their lives were before their spiritual rebirth, Christians generally welcome the positive affects of becoming a Christian even if getting to that point was not easy.

I very much enjoyed this poem and say many Biblical parallels. What made this poem most enjoyable were the subtle ways in which Elliot compares the journey of the Magi and what he found with Christian concepts.