
There are many different voices with unique perspectives that we hear throughout our lives. 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 senses the “whole house [beginning] to tremble” and she feels “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 her life experiences, she sees “the stars [begin] to burn” and light up the world around her in the face of the negatives close to her (92). By using symbolism, word choice, and different uses of the word “voices,” Mary Oliver shows this shift in her perspective on the world.

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 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. Instead of having an open pathway in life, Mary Oliver only sees a “road full of fallen branches and stones” (92). The authors’ way to freedom is not clear because of the negative people standing in her way and forcing their own negative thoughts and opinions onto her.

Additionally, Mary Oliver changes her word choice from pessimistic to optimistic as the poem develops. Instead of using mainly negative words such as “melancholy,” as she does in the beginning, she shifts her focus towards only the good in the world like the “new voice” she hears as her poem continues and her perspective changes (92). Throughout the poem, the tone changes from a pessimistic view on the world to a more encouraging view of keeping her own self company. The author changes her opinion on what is around her and shows that by the use of more open and reassuring words like the “new voice” that “kept you company” which suggests that she herself has developed along with the words (92). Mary Oliver tries to get across to the reader that there is more in life than the naysayers and their negative reflections. She shows us her own transformation away from listening to the negativity from others to following her own intuitions and positivity.  

Similarly, her change in the definition of the word “voices” from the beginning of the poem to the end shows the uplifting development in her perspective on the world and people around her. At the beginning of “The Journey,” the voices are “shouting their bad advice” at her (92). In her mind, these voices are weighted with the opinions that others have of her, full and heavy with negative judgement. As she strives deeper into life, she begins to leave “their voices behind” her and focus more on the good in her life (92). The definition of the word “voices” develops into self-confidence in her own self as she realizes the strength of her own thoughts and opinions. By explaining her past experiences in her life, she grows during the poem, and she becomes more aware of the different voices that are present in her head. It is not just the terrible voices around her anymore; there is also her own good voice surrounding her. The language of those around the author no longer scare her, instead it is her own voice that offers her support through the struggles she has faced and will face throughout the rest of her life. The change in the meaning of the word “voices” represents the evolution that Mary Oliver experiences throughout her life. 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. With the use of symbolism, word choice, and different meanings of the word “voices,” she shows this personal development from lacking self-confidence to finding a new inner strength of positivity. 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. Her use of symbolism and choice of positive or negative words throughout her poem allows her to better get across her transformation to the audience from being a pessimistic person to optimistic as she tries to save herself from a world full of people trying to change her. Mary Oliver uses different contexts of the word “voices” to change how the reader views her situation in life throughout the poem. The word “voices” represents a lifetime of hardships and negative opinions, but also a comfort we can find within ourselves. As she becomes more aware of the power she holds over herself throughout the poem, she changes the tone from overwhelmed in the beginning to independent and strong in 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. 
