Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a long journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.
And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times when we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
And running away, and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities dirty and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty and charging high prices:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.
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.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wineskins.
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.
All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.
Poem Title: Journey of the Magi
Poet: Thomas Stearns Eliot
Note: The text provided appears to be a heavily altered or misattributed version of T.S. Eliot’s “Journey of the Magi.” The original poem is a concise, reflective meditation on spiritual pilgrimage. The version you supplied contains numerous deviations—both in language and thematic focus—which suggests it may be a derivative or fan‑created adaptation rather than the authentic Eliot work. The following analysis treats the supplied text as a distinct piece, examining its form, imagery, and possible intentions.
Form & Structure
- Length: The poem is unusually long for Eliot, spanning multiple stanzas with varied line lengths.
- Rhyme & Meter: There is no consistent rhyme scheme or metrical pattern; the poem reads more like free verse than Eliot’s characteristic lyrical diction.
- Punctuation: Frequent line breaks and unusual punctuation create a fragmented, almost stream‑of‑consciousness feel.
Imagery & Symbolism
- Journey & Climate: The harsh winter and the “melting snow” evoke a sense of physical hardship, echoing Eliot’s own motif of pilgrimage through adversity.
- Camels & Travelers: The reference to camels and “camel men” grounds the poem in a Middle Eastern setting, aligning with the biblical Magi.
- Destruction & Decay: “Cities dirty and towns unfriendly” suggests moral decline, perhaps critiquing contemporary society.
- Nature & Renewal: The temperate valley, running stream, and “old white horse” signal a hopeful transition from darkness to light.
- Spiritual Conflict: The repeated questions of “Birth or Death?” and the paradoxical “Hard and bitter agony” imply an inner struggle between worldly suffering and transcendence.
Possible Themes
- Spiritual Pilgrimage: The arduous journey mirrors a quest for enlightenment or divine truth.
- Duality of Life and Death: The poem wrestles with the idea that birth is a form of death, suggesting existential ambiguity.
- Cultural Critique: The depiction of “alien people clutching their gods” may comment on cultural relativism or the loss of traditional values.
- Redemption & Renewal: The shift to a valley of vegetation hints at the possibility of rebirth after suffering.
Stylistic Observations
- The voice is first‑person, lending intimacy but also ambiguity—does it reflect the Magi’s perspective or a modern narrator?
- There is an abrupt shift from literal description to philosophical questioning, blurring the line between narrative and meditation.
- The repetition of “This set down” creates a refrain that underscores the poem’s cyclical nature.
Conclusion
The supplied text diverges significantly from T.S. Eliot’s original “Journey of the Magi.” It retains core motifs—hardship, travel, and spiritual questioning—but expands them into a more elaborate narrative with vivid, sometimes chaotic imagery. The poem can be read as an imaginative re‑interpretation that seeks to merge Eliot’s contemplative tone with a modern, almost post‑modern sensibility. If you are studying Eliot specifically, it is advisable to consult the canonical version; if your interest lies in contemporary reinterpretations of biblical pilgrimage, this text offers a rich ground for further exploration.
More poems by Thomas Stearns Eliot
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