The captivating and appealing aspect of writing for a writer is the ability to vary what they want to say and how they say it. Writers vary their writing style by using a variety of the following: figurative language, diction and syntax. Another way a writer can vary how they deliver their meaning in writing is whether something is stated explicitly or implicitly. Something in writing that gives an obvious meaning or point it is said to be explicitly stated. On the other hand, when a writer suggests a meaning but does not directly state it; it’s said to be implicit. 

In Mary Oliver’s “The Journey,” Oliver proposes her belief that finding yourself is more important than anything else, including those around you if they are holding you back. In the poem, Oliver uses an assortment of figurative devices in order to make her opinion obvious without explicitly saying that she believes in the individual over society. Oliver makes use of metaphors, repetition, personification and uses specific diction to hint at her opinion that finding one’s purpose in life is the ultimate end goal. 

Oliver immediately starts the poem with a negative connotation towards outside voices showing her belief in the importance of finding ones true destiny so to say. Oliver says, “One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice-.” (Oliver 92) In this excerpt Oliver uses “voices” as a symbol to represent all the outside distractions that are attempting to keep you from what it is you’re attempting to achieve.  Oliver immediately establishes a negative impression on all these outside “voices” or so to say distractions with her diction.  Oliver describes these voices as to be “shouting,” which is not a friendly or positive description for a voice. Also, Oliver states that while the “voices,” are “shouting,” they’re really only shouting “bad advice.” Also, Oliver begins the poem with the word “you.”  By doing this she centers the entire poem around “you” or one person in particular. With Oliver centering the entire poem around an individual and symbolically representing outside influences in a negative way Oliver supports my claim that she believes oneself is the most important and that outside influences should be ignored. 

As Oliver further pushes her point she reminds us that the voices and distractions will continue along the way. “’Mend my life!’ each voice cried. But you didn’t stop. You knew what you had to do, though the wind pried with its stiff fingers.” (Oliver 92) Here we see Oliver making use of the word “voice” as a symbol for distractions once again. Oliver again is implying a negative outlook on these “voices” with diction. What Oliver says the voices are saying makes them seem desperate, clingy and in no way beneficial. Another tactic Oliver makes use of again is directing the poem towards “you” as an individual against society. While Oliver makes use of two of the same persuasive techniques she also exhibits a third: personification. Oliver says “…though the wind pried with its stiff fingers.” In this she is using another symbol for outside influences, this time it is wind. She also personifies wind with a negative description that comes through word choice; for example,  when she says the wind “pried” with “stiff fingers.” Oliver continues to implicitly support my claim that finding oneself is the ultimate goal in life according to her. She does so with her dissenting description of outside influences with the use of symbols and personification. 

Getting towards the end of the poem Oliver is now describing what it’s like once you have made it past the distractions and you’re no longer subject to outside influences. Oliver says, “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,.” (Oliver 92) Oliver’s first use of the word voices in this excerpt is similar to all the previous uses in the poem, which is voices being symbolized in a negative way towards outside distractors. However, her second use of the word in this excerpt is different. This second use of the word Oliver makes it unique to the individual. She makes this “new voice” the voice or path you wanted or desired all along. She claims as you’ve left all the voices or distractions behind “the stars” will begin to “burn through the sheets of clouds,” Oliver attempts to make it seem that this moment is a sacred or holy moment. This moment is the time in which you have officially erased any connection to anything other than what you desire. As Oliver progress’ past the point with distractions she begins to switch her entire tone. Oliver changes the way she uses the word voice and she also describes a very majestic scene now that she’s done addressing these distractions. This change in tone once you the individual is set on their own implicitly shows Oliver’s belief, and that is finding oneself is the one main goal for Oliver. 

Oliver in her poem makes use of several figurative devices including but not limited to diction, personification and symbols. With the use of the figurative devices Oliver is able to get her main idea across to us without directly stating. Instead, Oliver implicitly makes her point that the discovering of oneself is the end all goal in life. 
