The heopoetics of T. S. Eliot

Considerations on The Journey of the Magi

Abstract

The word thepoetics has been used to designate the possible dialogues between literature and theological reflection and/or religious studies. This article intends to present an exercise of theopoetcis from an interpretation of the poem The Journey of the Magi, by poet and literary critic T. S. Eliot (1888-1965), one of the most important poets of twentieth century, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948. In order to achieve this aim, the article will present first a few biographical notes on Eliot, followed by some general remarks on the poem, and our proposal of its translation, and some considerations about the (im)possibility of translating poetry. There will be also some notes on the theological aspects of the poem, and some remarks about Eliot’s view on Christianity as well. The hypothesis defended in the article is that the journey of the magi described by Eliot is a metaphor for his own journey of faith.