TS Eliot beautifully tells the story of the birth of Jesus through the eyes of a magician who traveled to Bethlehem in "Journey of the Magi". “The Journey of the Magi” was published in 1927 and was part of a series of poems by Eliot called the Ariel Poems. "Religious themes became increasingly important in his poetry" after Eliot converted to Anglicanism. The title, “The Journey of the Magi,” clearly tells the reader what they can expect to read. Magi is the plural form of magus which means “member of a priestly caste of ancient Persia”. Commonly, people call the three men who visited Jesus wise men and kings. TS Eliot does not use the word magi or other similar words. Readers know, Eliot writes from the point of view of the magi as in line forty, “We have returned to our places, these kingdoms,” he tells the reader that the narrator is a king. TS Eliot uses free verse to write "Journey of the Magi" as he uses neither rhyme nor meter. The form is a dramatic monologue in which the narrator, the magician, talks to the listener about his journey. The narrator found the journey difficult, but he continued to persevere until he achieved his goal of seeing “a birth.” Eliot conveys that the magi are strong and determined men as they endure the hardships of the journey. “The Journey of the Magi” begins with a quote based on the “Sermon of the Nativity” by Lancelot Andrewes. The reader is immediately thrown into the middle of the journey instead of starting from the beginning and his fellow magi. Their journey has brought regrets as the men think of their summer palaces and the girls who bring them sherbet. Regrets have also spread to their... medium of paper... people will die, so they will be reborn in Jesus Christ. It's a beautiful ending to the poem. TS Eliot conveys a powerful message in “The Journey of the Magi” about the birth of Jesus Christ and the death of the magi. Eliot uses symbolism to paint a picture of the treacherous journey of the magi to see the birth of Jesus and to show that the reader must “die” to be reborn again through Him. TS Eliot really manages to create dramatic poetry with “The Journey of the Magi". Works Cited Kennedy, XJ and Dana Gioia. Literature: An introduction to fiction, poetry, drama, and writing. Compact 7th edition. /And. interactive. Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson, 2012, 805."Definition of magus in English." Oxford Dictionary. http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/magus (accessed 14 November 2013).Eliot, T.S. “The Journey of the Magi”. London: Faber & Gwyer, 1927.