Nature and Conversion Imagery in T. S. Eliot's "Journey of the Magi": A Review of Criticism in Books

Criticism of T. S. Eliot's "Journey of the Magi" suggests that the images of nature and conversion are representative of the ambiguity of the world. The images of nature are at times beautiful--as in the "fertile valleys" and "running streams"--but are also ominous and dark in other portions of the poem. Images of conversion are also both positive and negative, as they are intended to convey a sense of hope and uncertainty--just as conversion …

…shows the ambiguity of the images and the poem itself. As many critics point out, the three trees foreshadow Christ's crucifixion--on the one hand, a negative image relating to Christ's death but, on the other, a positive image relating to Christ's sacrifice for humanity. Many critics have demonstrated that the ambiguity of the nature and conversion imagery in "Journey of the Magi" is reflective of the author's view of the world as an inexact place.