Friday, January 02, 2015

Poetry Friday: T.S. Eliot's Journey of the Magi.

What else could I post on this Friday before the Epiphany?

Journey of the Magi
by T.S. Eliot 

'A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year

For a journey,
....

It's an astounding poem. If you've never read it, do yourself a favor -- go read, then listen to Eliot read it -- the link is here.

If you're thinking you're not a big fan of Eliot, give it a try anyway. Then try to answer these questions:

How does he do that?
How did he haul around the reputation of being too scholarly and too philosophical to write poetry, and then do that?

This poem is such a perfect melding of earthly earthiness and supernatural doings. Eliot captures that down-to-your-bones discomfort, the squirming, the revelation, the discovery that this isn't really my home -- that knowledge which at first is both comforting and terrifying.

~~~~~

The round up today is at The Miss Rumphius Effect.

7 comments:

Linda B said...

No, I don't know this, Karen. It's so beautiful, & his voice reading... Thank you, a perfect one for now. Happy New Year!

Karen Edmisten said...

Happy New Year to you, too, Linda! So glad to introduce you to this one today. All the best to you in 2015!

Melanie Bettinelli said...

A perennial favorite. It never gets old, does it? Of course Eliot is my favorite, the poet I know best, the one I saturated myself with.

Karen Edmisten said...

Yes, Melanie -- it seems new every time I read it. I love it. Knew you did, too. :)

Mary Lee said...

Wow. So much more there than just "We three kings..."

Tabatha said...

This is what I love about Poetry Friday -- being introduced to poems like that! Thanks, Karen.

Karen Edmisten said...

Happy to introduce you to it, Tabatha!
Mary Lee, yes -- it's so rich, isn't it?