In the poem “The Journey” by Mary Oliver, she speaks of a journey of self-reflection. Throughout the piece she highlights the importance of transforming one’s life for the better. Oliver does this by including many different rhetorical strategies; for instance, imagery, personification, and extended metaphors. She easily paints a mental picture for the audience that translates her message in a successful way. By doing this, the reader can feel a sense of emotion in the poem as a whole. This text is effective in appealing to pathos in order to let those facing life-altering decisions know that it is alright to defy conformity on the path to self-transformation.

Oliver’s use of imagery regarding nature is extremely successful in her appeal to pathos. In lines 19 to 24 she says,” It was already late enough, and a wild night, and the road full of fallen branches and stones. But little by little, as you left their voices behind, the stars began to burn...” In this quote, the author uses her words to paint a picture in the readers’ minds of a late night with a road full of debris. Which is then follows with a breakthrough of a bright, shining star. She shows us this image to illustrate that even when it is late in life and things are messy, it is possible to rise above social norms and prevail on their spiritual journey. Her use of imagery here exemplifies that it doesn’t matter when a person decides to make a change. No matter how early or late, he or she can still improve the quality of their life. The audience can feel the emotion because most people can relate to the sense of social constructs. When social norms guide you in one direction it’s hard to find your inner voice, which is what the speaker is struggling to do, making this piece extremely applicable to audience members. Overall her use of imagery helps the reader feel a strong sense of self- reflection. 

The use of a personification plays an important role in the effectiveness of pathos seen by the audience.  In the quote, “You knew what you had to do, though the wind pried with its stiff fingers at the very foundations, though their melancholy was terrible.” (Ln.13-18).  Oliver uses the wind to act as a stiff object to show how wind in this case specifically guides you in one direction rather than another. This exemplifies how the person in this poem has no internal freedoms but recognizes the need for change. The audience gets the sense that the speaker is facing inner turmoil because he is being guided by the “stiff wind” in one direction. As a member of the audience one can relate to the speaker and the emotions he is going through. The audience could be thinking back on a time when they felt they were being forced in one direction. But after self-reflection, coming to the conclusion that it is okay to go in a different direction regardless of the one being forced upon you. Because the audience can feel this emotion, Oliver is extremely successful in her writing. 

As whole, the poem “The Journey” is composed of an extended metaphor. The entire story being portrayed is used to symbolize Mary Oliver’s transformation as a person. The poem depicts a trembling house, vicious winds, and broken branches, all of which are metaphors for the physical journey someone takes to make changes in life. By using the quote “But little by little, as you left their voices behind, the stars began to burn…as you strode deeper and deeper into the world…”(ln.23-32). Oliver establishes both the physical and spiritual journey the speaker goes on. The speaker physically leaves the voices and opinions he or she hears behind, but comes to the spiritual conclusion of his own voice that he has his own voice and doesn’t need to consider the opinions of others. As a person it is easy to get caught up in what other people think. Instead of doing or thinking what you want people’s opinions can make a person think about life differently. Audience members can relate to this because at one point in time a person has thought one thing, but after hearing the thoughts of others decides to change their mind instead of sticking with their gut and doing what they believe is the right thing to do. The feeling of self-doubt and coming to the conclusion that it is best to follow your own voice is the message that Oliver is trying to convey to the audience. In doing this, she succeeds in creating pathos.  

Throughout the poem “The Journey” Mary Oliver choses many tactics to establish pathos for her audience. Her use of imagery, personification, and extended metaphors are extremely successful in allowing the reader to understand her message. The message of self-transformation is a message easily relatable to all audience members. Most people can think back on a time when they were facing inner struggles and how they overcame them to preserver. By writing this poem Oliver makes the readers feel a certain way about self-reflection. All three of these strategies come together to paint a mental picture for the reader. She is saying that it is alright to go against the grain of social norms and become an individual person with individual thoughts and ideas. Mary Oliver’s choice to use pathos in her writing is very successful. By tugging on the audience’s sense of emotion her poem becomes very relatable and easy to comprehend.  Oliver’s use of rhetorical strategies overall is very effective in her appeals to pathos in her poem “The Journey”. 

