
Figurative devices are tools used to connect the reader to the writer both emotionally and intellectually. Devices such as similes and metaphors are used to show the reader how the writer thinks. On the other hand, devices like imagery and personification are used to show the reader what the author is feeling, connecting them emotionally. In Mary Oliver’s The Journey she chooses to connect with the readers’ emotions. Through imagery, personification, and repeated usage of the word “you”, Oliver shows the reader that following your own path and leaving others behind is the only way you’re going to be happy and successful.

Along the path to success there are an infinite number of struggles, each one affecting the way we progress in our journey. One of these struggles is our environment and our self-worth. In lines 6 and 7 of The Journey, Oliver says “though the whole house began to tremble. She may have used the personification of the house trembling to symbolize her life at home. She could have come from a dysfunctional home, taking away her stability and restricting her from going out to find herself. You can’t branch out if you don’t have a grounded tree to stem from. Lines 6 and 7 could also symbolize an inner dysfunction that may affect her self-worth. You have to understand your own self-worth and be comfortable with where you stand before you can move forward in your journey. Mary goes on to say that even though the house trembled you, the reader, did what you needed to do for yourself. 

The poem is written in second person, which is a wonderful way to connect with the reader on a personal level. Putting the reader in the author’s shoes, showing them what the author felt, is a great way to get the message across. Oliver chose to use second person because everyone can relate to the text in some way. “You” are the one running from everyone else in order to find yourself. Although we all know that the poem is about Oliver, repeating the word “you” forces the reader to imagine themselves going through Oliver’s struggles and emphasizing the importance of finding who you are.

This seems a little selfish, abandoning everything you know and focusing on yourself, but I think that’s the point of the text. In the last 10 lines of the poem Oliver describes the voice that starts to come with abandoning everyone else.  She says as “you strode deeper and deeper into the world” you understood who you are and you understood your own voice. How you were “determined to save the only life you could save”. Really she explains how you were determined to be selfish. Oliver chose those words for a specific reason, to show the reader that you have to be selfish in the best way possible. That doesn’t mean the reader is supposed to be a heartless, uncaring human being. It simply means that sometimes you have to put others to the side in order to focus and that is okay. Being selfish, in this case wanting to do something for yourself or to find yourself, is one of the best tools for your success. How are you supposed to be successful in your life, your relationships, and your career if you can’t take the time to take care of yourself? 

The struggles you must go through in order to find yourself may weigh heavy on your heart but Oliver does offer some light in this otherwise dreary poem. In lines 20 through 26 Oliver describes “a wild night” with a “road full of fallen branches and stones”. This symbolized the struggles we face and how dark our lives are before we find who we are. She goes on to say that “as you left their voices behind, the stars began to burn through the sheets of clouds”. This symbolized a light at the end of the tunnel. She uses the imagery of the stars to show the reader that there is in fact hope. As you go down your path, although it may be dark at first, you will find the light at some point.

Although the struggles may hinder you in creating your own success, it’s important to work your way through them. There will be people who tell you to do the wrong thing, give you “bad advice”, and doubt you. You have to ignore them, listen to your own voice, and take the path you believe is best for you because there is no one else on this earth who can determine your happiness except for you. Mary Oliver’s poem “The Journey” is about self-exploration and the struggles you have to face in order to be your own person. Through the use of figurative devices Oliver elaborates on the themes of selfishness, success, and the importance of independence.