There are many different voices with unique perspectives on life that we hear in this world. Some are here to help, while others are only present to tear a person down. Mary Oliver changes the words in her poem “The Journey” to represent the development she feels throughout her exploration of life. At the beginning, negativity is all that surrounds her as she sensed the “whole house [beginning] to tremble” and she felt “the old tug at [her] ankles” (92). The negative forces shake her world and pull her down as she continues along her path in life. She notices that her world is wavering and being affected by the pessimistic people around her. Further into the poem, the author wants the reader to recognize a shift in the tone of her poem. Instead of the pessimistic view on each experience from her life, she sees “the stars [begin] to burn” and light up the world around her in the face of the negatives close to her (92). As the voice changes throughout Mary Oliver’s poem, her perspective on the world also shifts. 

To begin with, Mary Oliver uses symbolism to give a better description of what she sees happening near her. She notices people around her shouting about their own wants and needs instead of respecting her own. The author conveys the idea that people tend to hear the most negative thoughts from the people that surround them. They decide to express their thoughts of us which in turn shakes our sense of belonging. Mary Oliver believes that the people close to her usually have something negative to say, instead of supporting her for what she stands for and believes in. They give her advice on her situation and their opinions instead of letting her choose her own way. She expresses this thought through creating an image of the “wind [prying] with its stiff fingers” (92). Mary Oliver conveys the idea of being forced into a situation that society has put her in. Additionally, she feels that her path is blocked by those who view her and her ideas in a negative light. The authors’ way to freedom isn’t clear because of the negative people standing in her way and forcing their own negative thoughts and opinions onto her.

Secondly, Mary Oliver changes her word choice from pessimistic to optimistic as the poem develops. Instead of using mainly negative words, as she does in the beginning, she shifts her focus towards only the good in the world as her poem continues and her perspective changes. As she grows up during the poem by explaining her experiences throughout her life, she becomes more aware of the different voices that are present in her head. It isn’t just the terrible voices around her anymore; there is also her own good voice surrounding her. The word “voices” represents a lifetime of hardships and negative opinions, but also a comfort we can find within ourselves. Throughout the poem, the voice changes from a pessimistic view on the world to a more encouraging view of keeping her own self company. Mary Oliver tries to get across to the reader that there is more in life than the naysayers. We just need to realize the positive impact we have on ourselves if we decide not to let others choose who we want to be. The change in the meaning of the word “voices” represents the development that Mary Oliver experiences throughout her life. 

Lastly, Mary Oliver’s view shifts as she realizes that she needs to spend her time trying to save herself instead of focusing on solving the problems of others. In the beginning of the poem, the voices around her are a distraction as they try to grab her attention by crying out to her with their unfortunate situations. She spends too much of her valuable time trying to appease others and fix their problems instead of her own. When the poem’s tone shifts from negative to positive, the reader notices her new understanding of her own self-worth. The farther she goes in life, the more she is “determined to save the only life” she can (92). The distractions of the other voices around her fades into the distance as she takes note of how loud her own voice actually is. Mary Oliver realizes that she is as important as everyone else around her and that shapes her outlook on life into a more beaming and optimistic view.

As the poem develops and changes from a wilted flower to one more open and blooming, Mary Oliver does the same. Her path in life has allowed her to explore all that is out there in the world including the voices of others and her own. Mary Oliver uses different contexts of the word “voices” to change how the reader views it throughout the poem.  Her use of symbolism and word choice allows her to better get across her ideas to the audience as she tries to save herself from a world full of people trying to change her. As she becomes more aware of the power she holds over herself throughout the poem, the author changes the tone from the beginning of the poem to the end. When she realizes her own self-worth, she then transforms into a stronger character that can protect her ideas and opinions from those around her. Mary Oliver’s transformation occurs throughout her poem as the readers can see by the change in her tone of voice.
