Read the excerpt below from T. S. Eliot's prescribed poem 'The Journey of the Magi':
'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.'
In the lines above, how does the speaker's paradoxical treatment of 'Birth' and 'Death' convey the central theme of spiritual transformation?
- By demonstrating that spiritual rebirth requires the painful abandonment of one's old worldly identity and ancestral beliefsAnswer
- BBy suggesting that the infant Christ underwent physical death immediately following his arrival in Bethlehem
- CBy employing an oxymoron to describe the physical fatigue and bodily mortality experienced by the Magi during their trek
- DBy establishing a celebratory and triumphant mood that glorifies physical nativity over mortal suffering
Answer
The speaker's paradoxical treatment of 'Birth' and 'Death' conveys that spiritual rebirth requires the painful abandonment of one's old worldly identity and ancestral beliefs.
The correct answer accurately interprets the central paradox of the stanza. The speaker notes that witnessing the 'Birth' of the new spiritual era was like 'Death' because it effectively destroyed their former worldview, pagan customs, and comfort in their old kingdom, making spiritual rebirth a painful and agonizing process.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Spiritual Paradox and Symbolism in Prescribed Modernist Poetry