
In Mary Oliver’s “The Journey,” the term “voice” is used repeatedly, making it a key component in supporting the overall message of the struggle to persevere. Throughout the poem, there are several personal challenges presented where there are always “voices” present. At first, the voices are negative outside influences, such as society and standards. Then they shift to positive influences from within oneself. One’s own inner voice is the most powerful of any. Through Oliver making this inner voice positive one is able to connect this to how persevering during struggles is easiest by listening to oneself. 

        The beginning of this essay starts with a negative tone. Oliver states that there are voices “shouting their bad advice” (Oliver l. 5). This suggests that these “voices” are holding the reader back from “what you had to do” (Oliver l. 2).  These quotes are necessary for the foundation of Oliver’s point in this poem. Outside voices can come from many different places. Many people automatically think of people when they hear “voice.”  However, voices can also come from things other than people. These can be things such as media, cultures, and standards. In today’s society there are many negative influences and voices trying to get people to conform by their ideas which can be seen as a setback in the journey of finding oneself. Through this first reference to voices, the reader’s attention is brought to the main issue proposed in this poem. Even though there are obstacles in the way of one’s journey they need to persevere.

Later in this poem, Oliver says that again there are voices asking “mend my life!” (Oliver l. 10 ). This shows yet another way that these voices are creating struggles throughout one’s journey. No longer are the voices trying to give the reader their input on his or her life, but now they are trying to drag the subject into their own troubles. Oliver using them wanting help with a negative connotation is strange. Usually, when people want to fix their lives it is considered to be a positive thing. Typically, it is encouraged to improve one’s life and try to be better. The position that Oliver takes is clearly uncommon.  However, with this reference being negative it alludes to how when others are in bad places in their life they often ask for help but they really are the ones who have to help themselves.

In the middle section of the poem there is the mention of many struggles in the way of a goal. There is the mention of “stiff fingers” (Oliver l. 15) that are prying at the foundations of the goal. These fingers are representative of others and the ways that they try to pry into one’s life and get involved in things that is not their place. With both the voices and fingers being synecdoches, the reader is able to make the assumption that although they are both disembodied they belong to the same source. 

The pathway of the journey is also then described as “full of fallen branches and stones” (Oliver l. 21-22). All of these struggles are presented to show the reader how difficult the path truly is. There is not an easy way to reach the goal of fully knowing oneself and there are many struggles which for some people end up being too much to handle. Oliver’s description of the pathway provides further proof for why it is so  important to persevere, even when the path one is on may be difficult. 

After this negative beginning to this piece, Oliver shifts the tone from negative. Despite all of the struggles she has presented throughout the poem this far Oliver shifts the tone to positive by saying that “you left their voices behind” (Oliver l. 24). This shows that even though there are struggles on this journey, whether it be voices or other obstacles, the reader can still leave them. One does not have to listen to society and conform to certain standards and how they say to be. On a journey of finding oneself, one is still able to move past these struggles and persevere through them to find who they truly are and stick to that.

        Finally, Oliver uses the term voice again. Saying that there is a “new voice” (Oliver l. 27), which is the voice of the reader. The voice shifts from negative outside influences, that are presenting a challenge, to the reader’s own inner voice. The reader’s own “voices” are strong and empowering. This allows the reader to help gain more insight to the focus of the poem. By Oliver saying that the voice is “your own” (Oliver l. 29) it allows the reader to feel more of a connection to this poem.  This use of the term voice creates a more personal aspect to this poem because then it more easily allows readers to place themselves on this journey. When the reader is able to put themselves into this journey that they are reading about it allows them to further understand the overall message of staying positive through times of struggles and to help them apply it to their own life. In life, when one is trying to find themselves they must disregard all voices other than their own when making choices.

        In “The Journey” by Mary Oliver there is a heavy focus around the term “voice.” Oliver used this term repeatedly to help the reader distinguish the difference between outside voices such as society and inner voices that come from within oneself, as well as the difference between the negative and positive influences they can have. In today’s world, society can have such negative influences that get in the way of one’s journey of finding themselves. Through Oliver’s use of the term “voice” throughout the poem the Journey, the reader is able to realize they need to disregard the voices in society that are negative and focus on their own inner voice, the most important of all.          