

In life, it is important to know that the only person whom you can control is yourself. We are not able to determine others’ destinies, but are in control of our own domain. Independence allows us to have the freedom to do what we want. However, in order to achieve independence in its fullest form, we must persevere through fulfilling our own needs before others. In “The Journey”, by Mary Oliver, the author uses a specific sentence structure and diction to convey an overall theme of independence. Independence is very important to preserve because it will take us to the place that we desire to be. 

The words in the piece that are most noticeable were “shouting”, “tremble”, “tug”, “pried”, “melancholy”, and “terrible” (Oliver 4-18). These terms really seemed to stick out of the text because they illustrated a negative emotion. The author could have chosen words such as screaming, distressed, or horrendous; however, the words from the text were chosen because they are not quite as negative as the words I suggested.  For example, she used “melancholy” instead of distressed (Oliver 17). By doing this she was able to keep the poem slightly more upbeat. The word distressed would have made the tone of the poem too negative, and the point would not have gotten across properly. The words the author used evoked a strong feeling of grief within me, which allowed me to feel as I was in the poem. 

The word choice overall used a lot of imagery, which continuously conveyed the theme of independence throughout the work. The text started out as a depressing and sad, using phrases such as “bad advice” and “voice cried” (Oliver 5-11). These phrases create a strong feeling of hopelessness when they are read. However, it switches to be slightly more cheerful with phrases like “new voices” and “recognized as your own” (Oliver 27-28). When these phrases were brought forth it illustrated a shift of anticipation that a positive time was coming and things were going to get better. These phrases lead up to the concept that the only person that you can really take care of is yourself.

In addition to the specific diction usage, Oliver also utilizes personification and symbolism to add to the overall message of her poem. For example, Oliver personifies the wind by describing it as prying away at the house with its fingers (14-15). To the reader this feat seems impossible, however it has a much more profound meaning of others desires getting in the way of the path to our destiny. A further example is “wild night”, this helps the reader further visualize the scene of an intense, hectic atmosphere, once again, pulling the reader even further into the text (Oliver 20).

Furthermore, the author uses phrases to enhance the poem as well. The phrase “Mend my life!”, seemed like an odd statement (Oliver 10). This is due to the fact that people rarely ask another person to “mend” their life (Oliver 10). The word usage is very unique. This phrase itself demonstrates others’ requests have the ability to hold you back from your own ambitions. This is a very important anecdote, because it helps the reader develop a deeper connection to the theme. Another word that is used in a unique fashion is “foundations” as it has a double meaning (Oliver 16). The first meaning is the foundations of a house. The second, which is much deeper, is that the foundations represent the persons’ emotional stability. This, once again, shows the underlying message of the poem that you cannot let others drag you down.

In the work as a whole, the sentence structure seems to be relatively simple. This allows the author to convey the theme very well and allows readers to comprehend the overall message. The poem is written in an active tone of voice, because it constantly refers to “you”. There are also only a few words per line, which makes the poem flow nicely. The rhythm throughout the text is created by using short lines with frequent breaks. The rhythm also stays at a very even pace through the entire poem, though, the text itself is choppy. The sentences are broken into several short lines. The choppy and broken writing style hints to the notion of independence, because it strays from the norm of formal poetic structure. This gives the poem a lot more depth, which allows the reader to fall into it even more deeply. By using this specific sentence structure, the author creates a very unique style. For this, she uses elaborate and illustrative text such as “as you strode deeper and deeper” (Oliver 31). This makes the text richer. The text is written as a narration, and is also descriptive, because it creates an illustration in the readers’ mind.

The way that the text and words are formatted shows us how we can successfully reach our personal aspirations. Mary Oliver creates this point by utilizing theme based diction, personification, and specific sentence structure. The diction allows the reader to feel as part of the text. The usage of personification is what helps us visualize the scene and events that unfold. The sentence structure is what gives the reader a solid understanding of what they are reading. Throughout the text, the author illustrates that we have to reach our goals and be independent, before pleasing others desires. This is very important in life, because we need to achieve our goals and wishes.
