The journey of the magi

In the first two stanzas of the poem, the speaker is a choral “we” of the three Magi recalling the journey to Bethlehem they undertook to witness the birth of Jesus. In the final stanza the voice shifts to the singular “I” of a Magus who evaluates the journey long after it has passed. The experiences they go through like cold, heat, thirst....can be seen as an extended metaphor for the trials and tribulations of life in general.