A Song for Simeon - T.S. Eliot
A Reverent Meditation on Old Age and the Awaited Messiah
[Excerpt only — full text not provided due to copyright]
“Lord, the Roman hyacinths are blooming in bowls...
I am an old man,
A dull head among windy spaces...”
(Full poem text is under copyright and cannot be provided in its entirety here. Below is a summary and commentary.)
Published in 1928, “A Song for Simeon” is part of T.S. Eliot’s series of shorter religious poems composed after his baptism and reception into the Church of England (1927). Drawing on the story of the aged Simeon from the Gospel of Luke (2:25–35)—who, upon seeing the infant Christ, proclaims he can die in peace—Eliot’s poem captures the speaker’s longing for spiritual release and his recognition of the Messiah.
Eliot situates Simeon in a somber, wintry landscape that resonates with both Roman imagery (emphasizing an empire indifferent to divine mystery) and biblical archetypes of revelation. The poem’s tone is quiet and contemplative: Simeon reflects on his life’s waning years, the burdens of history, and the Messiah’s promise to usher in a new order. Yet the poem also hints at the cost of that promise—Simeon’s prophecy that Mary’s own soul would be pierced, reflecting the sorrows that come with redemption.
Stylistically, “A Song for Simeon” features Eliot’s distinctive blend of minimal, modernist phrasing with a liturgical cadence. While “Journey of the Magi” uses a dramatic monologue to retell the Nativity, this poem aligns more directly with a prayerful, almost hymn-like structure. Simeon’s repeated requests for release (“Let thy servant depart in peace...”) foreground both humility and an eschatological perspective: the old man yearns for eternal rest, secure in the knowledge that God’s revelation has come.
In context, “A Song for Simeon” highlights Eliot’s shift toward explicitly Christian themes—one that would culminate in works like Ash Wednesday (1930) and ultimately Four Quartets (1936–42). It offers a meditative, intimate glimpse of faith’s intersection with age, human vulnerability, and divine fulfillment. Through Simeon’s quiet surrender and acceptance, Eliot suggests how individual destinies can converge with a greater sacred narrative.
Key points
1. The poem reimagines the biblical Simeon awaiting redemption in a bleak, worldly setting.
2. Eliot emphasizes themes of old age, spiritual readiness, and the bittersweet cost of salvation.
3. The poem’s gentle, prayer-like form mirrors Simeon’s humble posture and devout hope.
4. “A Song for Simeon” underscores Eliot’s post-conversion focus on Christian imagery, bridging biblical story with modern consciousness.
