JAMB - Literature In English (2009 - No. 29)

This question is based on selected poems from Ker, D. et al (eds.):New Poetry from Africa; Soyinka, W. (ed.):Poems of Black Africa; Senanu, K.E. and Vincent, T. (eds):A selection of African poetry; Umukoro, M. et al (eds.): Exam Focus Literature in English; Eruvbetine, A.E. et al (eds.); Longman Examination Guides; Nwoga, D.I.(ed.); West Africa Verse and Adeoti G.: Naked Soles

The first stanza of Eliot's The Journey of the Magi depicts the

increment of fortune for the pilgrims
blind acceptance of faith
hazards of the journey
journey as an influential factor

Explanation

The first stanza describes the difficult conditions and challenges faced by the Magi as they travel to witness the birth of Jesus. Here are a few lines from the first stanza:

'A cold coming we had of it,

Just the worst time of the year

For a journey, and such a long journey:

The ways deep and the weather sharp,

The very dead of winter.'

In these lines, the speaker reflects on the harshness of the journey. The phrase "A cold coming we had of it" emphasizes the discomfort of the journey, with the mention of the worst time of the year, the challenging weather conditions, and the difficult paths. The description of the ways being deep and the weather being sharp suggests the physical challenges and hardships the Magi faced.

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