Comparing The Journey Of The Magi, And Dover Beach

Wailing, a lively baby announces its newfound citizenship on earth; sighing, a frail body concludes its journey. The monumental beginning and ending of human life mark the parameters time allows for one to discover the meaning, origin, and joy of life. One aspect that all humans experience is the unexplainable wistfulness for something greater than themselves. While people attempt to fill this void with material things such as wealth, fame, friends, sex, and work, individuals still lack fulfilment. Often when people become cognizant that the material world will not satisfy their longing, they turn to spiritual comfort. The poets T.S Eliot, Philip Larkin, and Matthew Arnold comment on humanity’s tendency to loiter with the notion of God and otherworldliness. Respectively, through their poems “The Journey of the Magi,” “Church Going,” and “Dover Beach,” the poets publicize their
With “Church Going,” Philip Larkin explores the allure the church has due to its promise to provide answers to those who feel lost. Even though he does not affirm spirituality, he recounts one of the several visits he made to a church, admitting, “Yet stop I did: in fact I often do,/ and always end much at a loss like this, / Wondering what to look for” (19-21). While Larkin identifies as an atheist, the potential answers the church offers to difficult topics such as human purpose and origin captivate him. Due to the internal desire for something more, he admits that he repeatedly visits the church with anticipation of gaining divine enlightenment. Unfortunately, he departs from the church still feeling hollow. The tone communicates that although Larkin fails to acquire fulfilment, he continues to visit churches because of the idea of purpose and answers associated with them, illustrating the strength of spirituality’s promises’ influence upon