In the poem The Journey, by Mary Oliver, there is one main theme. She constantly stresses self-growth and self-discovery. Oliver describes the path the subject takes in becoming someone stronger than who she started as. Oliver is successful in portraying this theme to her audience by using different rhetorical strategies. By using unique organization and simple language Oliver lets readers go into the life of the subject and become inspired and enlightened on many different levels.

The organization of this poem is one aspect that makes readers understand the main theme in this poem. Many times authors can take away from the theme of their work by trying to over-complicate their organization. Sometimes poems are very long or don’t follow a linear timeline, which can confuse readers. That is not the case in this poem. Oliver uses concise sentences. By not making her sentences too long readers are able to understand what is occurring in each concise line. 

For example, the first two lines state, “One day you finally knew what you had to do and began” (1-2). This line successfully shows how being concise effects the reader. In a direct manner, these two lines state that there is an initial starting point. It shows that there was an issue that she knew she had to begin to work on. Readers instantly begin to see the beginning of a theme to develop. It hooks readers instantly and makes them want to continue reading and see what is she had to do. 

The poem then continues to show the inner struggle and determination that the subject had to face. For example, when Oliver says, “You knew what you had to do, though the wind pried with its stiff fingers at the very foundations, though their melancholy was terrible” (13-18). This shows that she is continuing to struggle in a logical order of events. At first we are told there was something that needed to be changed, and here we see the that although she knows she needs to make that change, she struggles. Readers can relate to the idea of not immediately being able to solve a problem. By not having the subject immediately resolve or conquer the issue at hand, readers are able to empathize and understand the logical series of events because many audiences have gone through that same thing.

Finally, the poem is concluded by saying, “But little by little as you left their voices behind, the stars began to burn through the sheets of clouds, and there was a new voice which you slowly recognized as your own” (23-29). By having a specific beginning, middle, and end organizational strategy, readers are able to swiftly follow the course that the subject of the poem is feeling. Oliver uses pathos and touches into readers’ emotions by following a sequence of events that many are familiar with. It allows for readers to take the journey with her and truly understand the meaning behind what is being felt by the subject. The beginning shows her initial battle to begin the change she needs to make. Then in the middle of the poem, it shows her struggle of outside influences pushing her the other way, but she continues to fight on. Then at the end, she is finally able to find peace in the journey she has taken. She reaches a place where the only words that matter to her are her own words. This again persuades readers using pathos and hooks their emotional side by hitting their insecurities and times of trial. The organization of this poem allows readers to follow the journey she went on from the beginning all the way to the final results at the end.

 Each line, in The Journey, is not very long which allows the audience to focus on the meaning and really understand what Oliver is trying to say. In other poems where there are long complex lines, it is easy to get lost in what the author is trying to say, but with the short lines her point is direct and clear. There are many examples that illustrate this fact throughout the poem, especially when she states, “you knew what you had to do” (13). This line shows the short nature of the poem. Although the lines are short, they have great meaning that really help the audience directly understand the theme. Each line shows a purpose and persuades the audience by using logos by showing that although the they are short, the poem is still meaningful and portrays a strong message.

The word choice and diction that Mary Oliver uses also helps her audience understand more fully the theme and enjoy the poem she has written. She doesn’t use huge or confusing words to try to seem more educated or more sophisticated. Although many think that credibility comes from using large, very mature, academic language, that is not the case here. Oliver uses casual words, but not too casual to where it takes away the seriousness of the poem. For example, she says “the whole house began to tremble” (6-7) and “though the wind pried with its stiff fingers” (14-15). In both those lines the language is casual, but she includes very descriptive words such as “tremble” and “stiff”. In those cases, she is describing in detail to give her audience a more vivid picture of what is happening. 

By using casual and descriptive language that adds to her ethos. She is credible to so many, because a variety of audiences are able to completely comprehend the meaning behind every word she is using. The simple but descriptive language is a key aspect in what makes this poem’s theme portray to the audience because everyone is able to see, in simple terms, what theme is being portrayed. 

Everyone is effected differently by writings. Some people see one theme, whereas some people see a completely different theme or maybe more than one theme. In this poem many different themes can be discovered, but one theme in particular is especially seen. Oliver successfully reaches the audience using different rhetorical devices. With simple language and sound organization readers are able to understand and easily follow the meaning of this poem. 
