The ways deep and the weather sharp, / The very dead of winter
-- Speaker (Lines 4 - 5)

Importance: This quote opens the first stanza of the poem and establishes the unforgiving landscape the Magi must contend with if they want to witness the miracle of Jesus' birth. Eliot finds it necessary to highlight the sacrifices the Magi are making on their journey in order to demonstrate their dedication and selflessness to eschew comfort and warmth at the bleakest time of the year.

There were times we regretted / The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces, / And the silken girls bringing sherbet
-- Speaker (Lines 8 - 10)

Importance: These three lines in the poem help readers to understand all that the Magi have sacrificed in order to witness the Birth and why the bitter cold stands in such contrast to the warmth and beauty they experienced in the summer. As they get closer to Jesus' birthplace and the beginning of their own relative unimportance...