By closely reading the poem “The Journey” by Mary Oliver, the reader can find new meanings of the lines in this poem that contribute to its overall message.  Some elements in this poem are obvious, but others need further analysis.  By looking at this poem line by line, the reader can see how every single word adds to its greater meaning in one way or another.

There are many words in this poem that stand out from the others.  I believe that the author did this on purpose to highlight certain points that she is trying to make.  Words like “shouting”, “bad advice”, and “old tug” show the negative energy that the individual in this poem is struggling to escape.  On the other hand, phrases like “you finally knew”, “you didn’t stop”, and “determined to save the only life you could save” show that this individual is working through adversity because they know what they need to do.

The first several lines of this poem are very significant and give the general tone of the rest of the poem.  They give a sense of awakening or enlightenment.  They also give a feeling of self-confidence coming from the individual in the poem.  These lines seem to be referring to the individual’s transition into adulthood, shown by a rapid growth that the person in this poem undergoes in these lines.  “One day you finally knew” shows the quickness of this growth (Line 1).  It was not a slow and steady realization; it was a quick recognition by this individual that they need to start moving forward in their life.

The next three lines of this poem show the bad influences and temptations that the individual had to avoid on their track to a better life for themselves.  The “bad advice” in these lines represents the adverse opinions of others that the individual had to move past.  The next few lines are connected with this same idea.  The phrase, “…and you felt the old tug at your ankles” shows that there are people trying to pull this individual back into their old habits that they want to get away from (Lines 8-9).  Overall, the first several lines of this poem, as seen from analyzing the word usage, have an overwhelming negative tone, and show the reader that the individual in the poem is struggling to move forward in their life like they want to.  These lines show that life is not always easy for this individual, but that they are extremely determined, even though others try diligently to pull them back, and to keep them from becoming the person that they want to be.

The next sentence in this poem continues with the theme of other people getting in the way of this individual’s journey.  “Mend my life!” is a phrase the author picked to show that other people are asking the individual in the poem for a helping hand, instead of confronting their problems individually (Line 10).  The people in this poem do not want to deal with their own situations directly, so they all come asking for help.  However, these problems seem to be not very serious from the way they are talked about.  They were probably all caused by the bad habits that this individual is trying to avoid.  At this point in the poem there could have been a show of weakness from this person, but there was no such thing.  “But you didn’t stop” shows that the individual did not even consider wavering from their path (Line 12).  The author makes this line quick and to the point to show how determined the individual in the poem really is to move past other’s negativity.

The next few lines, up until the fourth period, continue with the theme of this individual’s determination.  These lines also bring in a new element to this poem.  These lines bring in an image of a storm, which is described with very symbolic words.  The usage of the image of the wind in the storm here can be interpreted two ways.  It can be read literally, and looked at as an actual windy storm pulling at literal foundations.  This is a legitimate interpretation of these lines, but a more figurative analysis gives the reader a better understanding of the meaning.  The wind here seems to represent the negative people that were discussed in the beginning of the poem, which is fitting because the wind is personified by the phrase “…pried with its stiff fingers…” (Lines 14-15).  The gloomy people represented by the wind are said to be pulling at foundations.  Once again this can be interpreted literally, but the foundations seem to be another symbol.  They are the mental foundations of the individual’s integrity, motivation, and work ethic.  This interpretation gives the image of people trying to break the main person’s spirit, but to no avail.

The next sentence continues with the theme of the terrible storm.  This can also be looked at literally as somebody trying to drive through debris in the road, but these lines and words also deserve figurative analysis.  Suppose that the road symbolizes life’s journeys, and that the fallen branches and stones are meant to represent fallen people.  By looking at this sentence in a new light, it is given a whole new meaning.  All throughout this individual’s life they have tried to move forward in a positive way, but people have always been literally and figuratively blocking the path.  These lines simply restate that concept, but in an interesting way with an analogy.  The “fallen branches and stones” can be looked at as drug dealers, thieves, or even something less serious like playground bullies (Lines 21-22).  All of these types of people are figuratively blocking this person’s road.  And just like driving through branches and stones, steering clear of bad people takes caution and focus as well.  If this individual loses focus they will symbolically crash, and become like these “fallen” people.  This individual is determined, however, and continues on with their journey without stumbling.

The last lines of this poem, which are all a part of one sentence, bring all of these previous ideas together to form a conclusion.  These lines are where the reader sees the negative energy fade away, and a positive light shine through.  This individual is finally leaving behind all of the negative voices from the beginning of the poem.  They stayed persistent on their journey, and as soon as they leave behind the unfavorable voices, a symbolic light begins to shine through the clouds.  Finally, in the next line, after all that this person previously experienced, they can hear their own voice.  For most of the poem they were listening to others, but now they have learned the power of their own thoughts and words, that can drown out the negativity in the world, and spread positive energy instead.  The line “that kept you company” is an important one because it emphasizes the point that at the end of the day everybody has to learn how to use their own personal thoughts effectively when they need strength to accomplish something by themselves (Line 30).  The author does not intend to promote isolation with this line; it just simply means that all humans must learn to be content with their thoughts and to be able to keep themselves occupied in a sometimes-lonely world.  The final four lines of this poem drive home the point of self-responsibility.  

The symbolic words that the author uses in this poem are extremely significant, and lead to an important moral after interpretation.  At the end of the day, no matter how much this individual may want to help the negative people in their life, they are truly only responsible for their own actions.  This person realizes that no matter how much others try to sway them, they must always keep their eyes on the prize of self-improvement.  This poem is not simply a narrative of a fictional character following their dreams, but a lesson to all humans to spread positivity and to always accept responsibility for their actions on their way to self-betterment.