
Andrei Tarkovsky, renowned Soviet filmmaker, claims through the above quote that literature is built upon the basis of symbolism; he is saying that true understanding of a work requires the realization of symbols and an analysis of their parts. This idea is obvious within the poem, “The Journey”; without understanding the meaning of certain symbols the reader may lack a full understanding of the poem and the wisdom it will instill. Mary Oliver, an American poet, writes about life as a journey – a constant pursuit of becoming an individual. She speaks of the trials one may face within this journey, followed by its rewards; she uses symbolism to display to the readers what this journey will look and feel like. The various symbols present in Mary Oliver’s poem, “The Journey”, play a vital role in the text as a whole; understanding the nature of the symbols that represent negative aspects of this journey and the symbols that represent positive aspects will provide a deeper understanding of this journey called life.

Through this inspirational poem, not only is Oliver telling the audience to branch out and experience the world as an individual, and not only is this poem a positive notion towards life, but it also displays the darker, realistic, and unfortunate struggles one will face along the way. Oliver is saying that in life there are obstacles that can be avoided as well as obstacles that cannot be avoided, and we just have to become selfish in order to be able to avoid those obstacles that can potentially be avoided. The repeatedly introduced “voices” symbolize the idea of realistic selfishness, Oliver is saying that this type of selfishness will allow one to discover the voice that is within – that voice that is a roadmap. She is not telling the audience to be selfish in every endeavor but rather be selfish by avoiding the distractions that outside voices force. One must become selfish in the nature of genuinely thinking about what is good for his/herself in specific situations, this doesn’t mean putting their every need above anyone else’s – but rather focusing on what needs to happen in order to develop a clear mindset for this journey. At first glance, this poem may seem to be telling the audience to become selfish about every aspect of life in order to discover his/her inner voice; but when analyzed the audience will see the falsity of that statement. The specifics of the symbol explained in the following paragraphs will further the idea that some obstacles can be avoided and some cannot, which Oliver does to extend the idea of selfishness.

Oliver uses two types of symbols – literal and abstract. The first type of symbolism that Oliver uses is one that is represented by the “voices” of others. She presents these symbols in a way that may cause the audience to realize that such obstacles can be avoided. She writes that “the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice” which is then followed by “as you left their voices behind”. These quotes tell the reader that though these voices are present at all times, they can be left behind; though they may be constantly present, they aren’t inevitable. The symbolism behind the “voices” is more abstract than the symbolism behind the “branches and stones”, which will be explained in the next paragraph. This symbolism relies heavier on the reader’s interpretation, it is influenced by his/her past experiences and background, while the more literal symbolism in the poem is set in stone and implies a more specific meaning. In doing this, Oliver is able to make the poem more relatable and influential for the audience. One may interpret these “voices” as a bigger obstacle than the physical obstacles encountered on his/her journey, or vice versa. 

 The poem begins by explaining the reasoning behind the journey; it tells the audience that there will be people along the way who will try to force faults upon their journey. Oliver then introduces the idea that not only will people’s “voice” attempt to fault this journey, but also the nature of the journey alone will present obstacles. The second type of symbolism used is one that displays a physical object that represents a literal emotion or obstacle present in this journey - this type of symbolism is seen through the following quote. Oliver writes that “the wind pried with its stiff fingers”, and that on this journey there will be a “road full of fallen branches and stones”. It is interesting that Oliver choses to have these obstacles represented by aspects of nature, this idea could mean that she is attempting to present the fact that such obstacles are unable to be avoided, as Mother Nature has a mind of her own. The “branches and stones” represent specific physical obstacles that lie in the way of this journey; one must learn how to get around such things, as they cannot be avoided due to the nature of life. 

Symbolism within Mary Oliver’s poem, “The Journey”, is portrayed to teach the audience of the struggles and rewards brought by the journey to becoming an individual, understanding the nature of these symbols is vital in one’s understanding of the inspiring poem. Symbolism within literature is one of the most important aspects because it controls the reader’s experience; if he/she is able to relate to a symbol on a personal level, the work will become extremely inspirational as the reader will gain wisdom about a certain obstacle, situation, or event. And, that is why without symbolism, literature would lack personality and meaning. 