journey of the magi (1927) Flashcards
what are the key concepts in journey of the magi?
- humanity in a perpetual cycle of dissastification which was born out of the shift from spirituality to secularism that occured during Eliot’s modern context.
when was the journey of the magi written and what contextual concern does Eliot voice out?
journey of the magi was written in 1927, the futility and brutality of post world war one individuals were spirtually dissatisfied and questioned their religion and as a result mant shifted towards spirituality to secularism.
what are the main forms & techniques Eliot uses to convey his concerns?
- dramatic monologue
- auditory articulation of words + sibilance
- metaphor
- high modality diction
- repetition
what are the quotes you are going to use in Journey of the magi?
- “the ways deep and the weather sharp. the very death of winter”
- “with an alien people clutching their gods”
- “a cold coming we had of it, just the worst time of the year”
- “there were times we regretted/ the summer palaces on slopes […] the silken girls bringing sherbet”
- “birth or death? there was birth certainly […] this birth was hard and agony for us, like death, our death”.
what are two quotes that represent the difficulty of one encounter trying to renew their faith in religion?
- “a cold coming we had of it, just the worst time of the year”
the repetition of “cold coming” and high modality diction of “the worst time” reinforces the harshness and difficulty one encounters in renewing their faith in religion. - “the ways deep and the weather sharp. the very death of winter”
the auditory articulation of words “deep” “sharp” “dead” further represents the difficult experience.
what is a quote that represents people in the modern age in relation to religious desire?
“with an alien people clutching their gods”
the metaphorical use of alien people reveals they are no longer familiar or at ease with the secularity that these people practice.
what is a quote that directly represents creates images of a regretful existence in modernity?
“there were times we regretted / the summer palaces on slopes […] the silken girls bringing sherbert”
this creates vivid images of regret, catalyzing modernity engulfed in superficiality, resulting in short-lived forms of shallow entertainment, emphasized in the sibilance recreates the feeling of bliss that this imagery is a yearning to return back to a spiritually devoid society filled with materialistic possessions.
what is a quote that represents the lack of spiritualization to sustain morality and fulfillment in the modern age?
“birth or death? there was certainly birth […] this death was hard and bitter agony for us, like death, our death”
- the persona’s statement portrays a bitter, ironic paradox that the birth of a saviour was a “death”. the irony is in how the magis religious gain, ostracises them from their own society.
how does the journey of the magi contribute to the notions of textual integrity?
Eliot demonstrates textual integrity through his persona that is transcended to contemporary individuals, a world consumed by materialization disconnecting us from our sense of spirituality. Eliot challenges readers to understand the importance of spiritual health and that it is okay to sacrifice things to reach a better place of fulfillment.
