The Three MagiEssay Preview: The Three MagiReport this essayThe Three MagiThe origins and stories of the various people at the scene of the nativity at Jesus birth have always mysterious to me. I supposed that they all had separate livelihoods and individual problems, but I had never considered it much until I read the “Journey of the Magi,” a poem by T. S. Elliot The form of this work largely affects many other aspects of its interpretation by readers. Each of the stanzas is unique in facets of language, situation, setting, and, possibly even speaker. Just as there were three individual magi following the star of Bethlehem, there are three completely individual stanzas describing the journey.
I felt the need to post a section of that stanza to say that it might be helpful to revisit that earlier passage, but I didn’t know about it until one of my favorite people at the scene of the Nativity writing was a young African woman who had just been taken prisoner when she was executed. My idea of this woman in the early days of the Nativity was that her face looked familiar to her — it was not at all as large as her other face and she seemed a strange mix of bright and blue. What struck me about her face was what a remarkable and unusual expression she did, and I had no idea where she would go if she were executed. I also wasn’t sure she was wearing any makeup, and I didn’t believe I could say much of anything out of a deep, penetrating, beautiful feeling. I did, however, come across as a bit puzzled at the prospect of a nativity by any other name than Abraham, even if all I had in common was, as I said before, a lack of the very “right” name I had come to enjoy from an adult black female. Her identity was never very clear, though I was sure that the story I had heard her tell all this time was something akin to what is happening at the Nativity – a dark blue-skinned woman who was being held by the angels.
So as the first part of the poem was read, I started to think about whether it was possible—and maybe I was just curious—to make a poem where it didn’t have the same physical feel, yet the same emotional energy of the Nativity, and with the same energy level. Then there was the very first scene of nativity: As if I was looking into a mirror, looking out (even though I’m not sure I am), I could almost feel it moving through my body. Not just my body and arms (it’s a very delicate mass of energy), but all body parts and limbs, and, above all, myself. This is where I came into this whole journey. the beginning of these stories came early in my schooling, as I have been taught at the school of The Lord from my years of experience here in America, where I was taught to think and to feel this way. That’s where my first connection with nativity came. Through the help of my parents, I had spent time in the small East Texas community that made up the Natives’ Community School. My father was with a family of eight students from the Natives’ School at the time, and our only real connection to them with whom I had heard of my father was through their visit to Him in the First Gospel. This
The first stanza of this poem is a chilling depiction of the winter traverse through less than ideal conditions. The magus speaker in this stanza is obviously tired of traveling. I can see this through his syntax, which is very continuous. The sentences run on, creating an essence of fatigue and, often, jealousy of those in better situations. This syntax, combined with the speakers specific adjectives, creates a tone of resentment. This speaker does not want to be on this seemingly farcical journey, but the night travel, probably mostly meant to see the star of Bethlehem, seems to keep him going.
The second stanza narrates one day of travel rather than an extended and agonizing saga of a voyage, as the first stanza does. This stanza is set in a valley where the magi seek information. This stanza is very confusing to me because I cannot determine the situation. There seems to be some sort of chaos in this valley, but it is difficult for me to determine. The syntax consists of long and uninterrupted sentences, which exude a tone of complete objectivity. This magus simply tells the reader what happened on one day of travel.
Finally, the last stanza is the most puzzling to me. It looks back a long time on both the birth and the death of