
Mary Oliver’s “The Journey” is a poem that describes the obstacles and distractions that one goes through in order to become an individual and think for themselves. She explains the different stages of life, including both the positive and negative aspects that help shape an individual and save them from the grasp of society. Oliver describes the different aspects of life as voices. For example, she references four voices throughout the poem, which symbolize the four stages that one goes through in order to complete the transformation into individualism. Aside from metaphors, Oliver uses repetition, imagery, and personification to illustrate that the only way to find yourself is to break away from society’s grasp. 

In the beginning of the poem, Oliver writes “though the voices around you / kept shouting/ their bad advice” (Oliver, lines 3-5). In this quotation, the voices represent society and the control that it has in one’s life. At this point in the poem, society has a strong role in the person’s journey. The voices are a metaphor for the distractions from the outside world and how they impact one’s decisions. The voices are an example of repetition because they are mentioned multiple times and are present throughout one’s journey in life. For example, Oliver is explaining that one cannot save themselves unless they ignore the voices and think on their own. Later in the poem, Oliver writes “Mend my life! / each voice cried” (Oliver, lines 10-11). This quotation is referring to the voices of people in society that are crying out for help and advice. However, Oliver explains that one cannot help others until he/she saves themselves first. This means that in order to give advice to others, one must be able to listen to their own advice and think on their own. 

The turning point of the poem represents the point in life when a person begins to think for themselves and starts to ignore the opinions of society. Oliver writes “But little by little, / as you left the voices behind” (Oliver, lines 23-24). This quotation is suggesting that ignoring the outside world is a process that must be done step-by-step. However, as the voices are being left behind, the individual begins to think on their own. Oliver then writes “The stars begin to burn / through the sheets of clouds, / and there was a new voice / which you slowly / recognized as your own,” (Oliver, lines 30-34).  Once a person begins to hear their own voice, they are able to cancel out the negative distractions that society produces. Mary Oliver is showing that every person has their own voice, but listening to themselves is the problem that many people face. Once the person begins to listen to their own voice, they begin to break away from society and start to think on their own. 

Oliver uses personification in the poem to symbolize the negative aspects of the world and how one must overcome them if they want to achieve the overall goal of individualization. Oliver writes “though the wind pried / with its stiff fingers” (Oliver, lines 14-15). The wind is trying to hold a person back, the stiff fingers are grasping them and not allowing one to save themselves from the tight grasps of society. The grasps of society serves as both a distraction and a setback in one’s life. If one wants to continue along their journey, they must escape the voices and focus on themselves. 

Throughout the poem, Oliver uses imagery to paint a picture of one’s journey through life. She describes the hardships and the problems that one must go through by writing “and the road full of fallen branches and stones” (Oliver, Lines 21-22). The imagery shows that the road has many distractions and obstacles. The road is representing the journey through life and the many twists and turns taken by someone. This is one example of imagery used by Mary Oliver. She also uses imagery to show the turning point of one’s journey. For example, she writes “the stars begin to burn / through the sheets of clouds,” (Oliver, lines 30-31). Her use of imagery in this quotation shows the light at the end of the dark tunnel and the turning point for their logic. For example, in the next lines Oliver writes how one finds their voice and begin to stand on their own. The use of imagery is present throughout the poem and allows the audience to visualize the context on a deeper level. 

Oliver continues to use the word “voices” throughout the text to represent the stages of life. Oliver writes “the voices around you” (Oliver, line 3). This is the first time that the voices are referenced and she repeatedly mentions voices throughout the poem. However, the meaning of the voice itself changes every time. In the beginning the voices are negative and describe the voices of society. The voices at the end of the poem are positive voices and represent the voices inside one’s head. Mary Oliver also uses the phrase “what you had to do” interchangeably throughout the poem. The phrase represents the choice that one makes in order to begin their transformation into a new and better self. 

Throughout the poem, Oliver explains the obstacles and distractions that one faces throughout their journey in life. She explains these obstacles and distractions by incorporating literary elements into her writing. These elements include the use of metaphors, repetition, imagery and personification. The use of these literary devices helps to explain and show the different aspects of one’s journey, such as the hardships and the adversity faced in life. However, once the negative voices are ignored the person begins to find themselves and are able to think on their own without the influence of society. 