Poetry Essay, Thesis & Outline

Thesis Statement "Journey of the Magi" by T.S. Elliot demonstrates a feeling of powerlessness and alienation of man which can only be quenched by the power of Christ whose birth changed the status quo by usurping the powers of paganism and magic. Outline 1 The symbolism of the title and the three men in the bible and specifically the gospel of Mathew. 2 The writing of the poem in the year 1927 and its publishing in 1930 by Ariel poem`s as well as the motivation behind it. 3 The poem`s plot summary and discussion on style. 4 A mood of uncertainty and mystery as advanced in the poem. Introduction. The Journey of the Magi is a poem by T. S. Eliot. It is about a magus who travelled to Palestine to visit the new-born Jesus. The poem refers to the three men in the bible and specifically the gospel of Mathew. The Magi is a class of Zoroastrian priests in ancient Media and Persia who went to Bethlehem to pay homage to Jesus Christ. Setting. The poem was written in 1927 and published in 1930 by Ariel poems. Elliot`s poem was written after his conversion to Christianity and confirmation in the Church of England. He usually visited churches for the sake of peace, contemplation, and spiritual refreshment. Elliot had a sense of tradition and an instinct for order within himself and the church and faith gave him this security within a life of frustrations and struggles. The poem is set in a desert like terrain. This is seen by the mention of camels and that they preferred to travel at night when possibly it was cold and not as hot as day time. Content summary and style. The poem is a dramatic monologue of a man`s lament of a tedious and long journey. The persona is a world-weary, reflective, sad man who talks about his journey with the other magi to see the new saviour. They are travelling in the worst time of the year when the weather is cold and sharp. It is at the dead of the winter and the camels are sore from lying on the melting snow. The magus recalls what they have gone through and regrets the journey. He remembers the dirty village where they were overcharged, the cursing camel men who ran all over wanting their liquor and women, the silken girls, fire going out, lack of shelter and the hostility. They were not totally sure if a king had really been born as the speaker says that a voice was always whispering in their ears that this was all folly. They finally reached a Traven that had a running stream and three trees at dawn where they inquired for informati...