Winter

The harsh winter weather represents struggle and determination as the Magi continue their journey despite the physical toll it takes on them. Although they are traveling perhaps to witness the end of the belief system that places them at the center, they are unwilling to give up and turn back despite the challenges of "such a long journey / The ways deep and the weather sharp, / The very dead of winter" (3-5).

Summer

The summer serves as a symbol of ease, relaxation, and serenity. The Magi were treated well at the summer palaces they visited, surrounded by "the silken girls bringing sherbet" (10). The summer is a representation of the elevated role in society the Magi occupied and the many privileges that were afforded to them. The memory of a warm, endless summer is in direct contrast to their punishing trek through the winter landscape where the poem...