“One day you finally knew” (Oliver, line 1).  Knew what? Knew that you had to leave? Knew that you had to forget? To move on? To be yourself? The author of “The Journey”, Mary Oliver uses the literary device, symbolism throughout the poem to connect the meaning of the story to the readers own thoughts and experience. The symbolism in this case is used to connect the readers to the journey of life. Multiple examples have been given to make this point come across. Symbolism is expressed through the structure of the poem, references to natures weather, and the obstacles faced in a journey.

Within the poem readers will recognize and realize the unique way Oliver structures her poem. Starting from the first couple of lines “One day you finally knew/ what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you/ kept shouting/their bad advice--/ though the whole house/ began to tremble/ and you felt the old tug/ at your ankles.” (Oliver, lines 1-9) By performing close readings, readers can distinguish the fact the there’s little punctuation. By having a run on sentence this can symbolize that life never stops. Life continues no matter what. The punctuation and structure of the poem creates an urgency and need to accomplish the journey. The poem also contains little breaks to create that pause people need in life. Another example of having a run on sentence would be on lines 23 through 36. By having a run on sentence throughout the poem it creates a mood of having the feeling of being rushed as if your lost in the woods trying to find your way out.

The description and usage of nature’s weather is also used to symbolize societies typical standards holding back an individual who wants to pursue something different. When people think of societies basic standards one can think having a family of four, maintaining a well-paying job, marrying the opposite sex, etc. The quote “though the wind pried/ with its stiff fingers/ at the very foundations” (Oliver, lines 14-15) is an example of how social standards are being pushed into our thoughts and feelings. The quote “though the wind pried/ with its stiff fingers” (Oliver, line 14-15). The wind can be a reference to how the social norm is typically taught and preached throughout life and how it can cause confusion among individuals who are unsure of what they want and what they feel. When analyzing the following line “At the very foundations” (Oliver, line 16) we typically associate it the word “foundation” as the basic building structure of a process. Taking that idea into account, can the word “foundation” symbolize a person’s basic mentality or way of living?  Another example of nature’s weather symbolizing the social norm is on lines 25 and 26 “the stars began to burn, through the sheets of clouds.” When lost in the woods, people are often told to look for the north star or the big dipper to find their way to safety.  Clouds typically blocks the suns’ rays, creating shade and sometime darkness. In reference to these two theories the stars are used to refer to the guidance of the individual through the cloud of judgement from society. 

 Which also ties in the obstacles faced in life

When discussing the journey of life, an individual can say that life isn’t easy. That there’s always going be obstacles in your way and that there’ll always be challenges that tests your ability to overcome them. In the poem symbolism is used in reference to obstacles usually faced on a journey in the woods. Symbolism occurs in the phrase “and the road full of fallen/ branches and stones.” (Oliver, lines 21-22) The phrase is a reference to how life is difficult.  The line associated with the fallen branches can be associated with the idea that there’s going to be people, ideas, and situations that will stop you from achieving what you want. The line that follows the previous quote continues on as “But little by little, / as you left their voices behind,” (Oliver, lines 23 and 24). This line can be a reference to the well-known phrase “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” What if the words spoken really did hurt? What if this is the reason why the person in the poem is on this journey? 

Poems contain an endless amount of literary devices.  The poem, “The Journey” by Mary Oliver is no exception. It’s a fact that the literary device, Symbolism played an important role in telling the story about a journey through life. Symbolism was shown through the structure of the poem, references to natures weather, and the obstacles faced in a journey.  Through close readings there could be many more meanings with the poem. Symbolism has the effect to mean anything to anybody. Readers may interpret the poem differently than one another. After reading Mary Oliver’s biography I tried to interpret the poem through her perspective and I found it closely related to the journey of life.