

Each reader has their own unique way of perceiving a text. Other factors like the author and the style of writing influence one’s perception, but the perception allows each reader to have that personal connection. The tone and the mood are in the author’s hands to try and steer the reader to understand the piece in the way that they aim to. In “The Journey” by Mary Oliver, Oliver uses an ascending mood to describe conquering failure on the journey to success, as well as a tone that focuses on individuality and perseverance to prove that it is up to oneself to make the necessary steps to success.

In the poem Oliver uses an ascending rhythm that starts by describing the journey like uneasy water that evolves into smooth sailing.  Oliver also uses a flow to create the mood of overcoming obstacles. There is no straight path on the road to success. Oliver describes the rocky road of failures and temptations in the beginning of reaching success. In the start of the poem, the phrase “though the whole house began to tremble” signifies a slow start on the journey. This creates a sense of urgency in the mood as the phrase creates the idea of a life changing event and subsequent realization that change is needed. As the journey progresses Oliver shows these negative influences beginning to go in the rear view and the journey becomes more attainable. The mood is making the turn from negative to positive, and it almost seems like reading the poem becomes lighter and more rhythmic. The reader begins to realize that not everything is sad and negative in the poem, and that once one gets over the first few humps the journey begins to roll. Once a certain point in the process is reached, it is almost as if one could take the training wheels off and ride a bicycle alone for the first time. This continues to make the reader feel ready to reach the glory at the end of the poem. Through the change in mood, one can realize that the themes of progress and success truly come out as they overcome failure and negative influences. The real turning point in the poem is when Oliver says, “…as you left their voices behind, the stars began to burn…”, and the reader realizes this progress and effort being made. The reader gets satisfaction in the positive swing that the poem takes, so it becomes a quicker read seeing that the mood is on its way up. 

A secondary theme related to confidence also comes out at this point, and the mood of the poem instantly lightens up and accompanies the change of negative events to positive ones. Without reading another line, the reader can tell that the success is near and this is because of the change from an extremely negative and slow mood to a much faster paced, confident, and ascending mood. Oliver uses the negative start and positive progression to show the hard work paying off for the one embarking on the journey, and thus makes the reader feel ecstatic and confident. However good the mood may be, this sense of goodness and ascending mood suddenly reach a halt when Oliver says, “… determined to save the only life you could save.” It is almost like a shock in the poem when suddenly the feeling of destiny and hard work leads to a realization that all one can do is help themselves, and everything else is out of control to a certain extent. This shifts the mood from a feeling of success and fulfillment to a feeling of confusion and emptiness. The mood makes the reader feel depleted and confused about all the entire progression in the poem. After finishing the poem the reader feels inspired and successful, however confused because there is always a catch in everything. 

The author’s tone in different pieces can also place a big influence on the way we perceive the meaning of texts. Oliver’s unique and subjective tone is reflected in the poem, leading to a change in the reader’s perception, leading to the understanding of a self-reliance related theme. The way that Oliver describes the journey shows that at the end of the day everything can only be controlled by one’s self and their motivations. The poem has an intentional concrete tone involving individuality, making no mention of outside influences. Oliver shows that she has an issue with other’s interfering in personal business. Her tone focuses the reader’s in on individuality, because other people bring each other down and hold them back. She does not describe a single positive outside influence and uses the exclamation, “ ’Mend my life!’ each voice cried.” The poem illustrates that success is reached through individuality and self-reflection. Oliver’s tone is so dead set on being nearly selfish that one of the most important things to remember when embarking on the journey to success is to put oneself ahead of everyone else, because it is one’s own journey, not someone else’s. 

Through Oliver’s writing, the reader gains an inspired feeling, as well as a feeling of confidence and general goodness. However, the feeling comes with a feeling of loneliness and confusion. The poem leaves the reader with mixed emotions. This leaves the reader with a better understand of the themes of self-reliance, success, and confidence. The authors mood in her writing, plays a role in drawing ideas and knowledge from the piece. The reader can better understand the themes of the poem through these literary elements used by the author, while at the same time the author alters the way a reader connects to the piece.
