
In traditional poetry, poets tend to develop characters or characteristics to incline the reader into reading forward.  The characters grow quickly in the piece and develop in the reader’s mind. This allows the audience to create their own interpretation of what the poet wants them to think. That’s what makes poetry so beautiful, characters are always up to the reader’s discretion. Mary Oliver does something completely unique in her poem, “The Journey,” by using the word “you” to capture the reader’s attention and bring their individuality into the poem. Yet, she doesn’t stop there; Oliver uses another unique feature in a quote, “Mend my life!” (Oliver 6, 92), that develops a sense of urgency. This feature helps the reader feel the message being conveyed. Yet, after the features Oliver uses in her piece, knowing about her life makes it relatively obvious why she writes this way.   By continuously using the word “you,” and adding the quote, “Mend my life!”(Oliver 6, 92), Oliver is able to bring one’s individual interpretation of the piece to deeper meaning. Thus, distinguishing “The Journey” from many other poems by creating an unknown narrator that magnifies one’s interior personalization, while the use of this adds a sense of purpose and urgency; and by taking a step back and looking at Mary Oliver’s structure of the poem, one can interpret that this poem was written to be related to, hereby making it universal.    

The word “you” can have many connotations and effects on a piece of work depending on how it is used. In “The Journey”, the word “you” contributes to Oliver’s poem’s uniqueness by creating a sense of someone watching you, as if this poem is meant to be a personal memoir. Oliver brings in the feeling that the reader is meant to hear this first hand from someone who has been in and experienced a similar position before. This unknown narrator then gives a promise to the reader. The speaker helps the reader understand that what they are doing is the correct thing to do and there should be no turning back.

“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,

that kept you company

as you strode deeper and deeper

into the world,

determined to do

the only thing you could do—

determined to save

the only life you could save” (Oliver Lines 23-36, 92).

 

This quote signifies that Oliver wants the reader to get, a sense of personalization from an unknown narrator. The quote shows that the reader, and only the reader, can save themselves, that’s what’s in their best interest, to listen to someone who cares and has been there before.

            The word “you” can also grab a speaker’s attention because you’re being spoken to in a very personal way. Oliver grabs the reader right away, saying, “One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began…” (Oliver line 1, 92).  What this does is incline the reader to read more and continue to read until they feel resolved which typically occurs at the end of the poem. It pulls the reader in and helps them relate quickly with what Oliver is trying to convey. This is where interior personalization takes place. When the poem says the word “you”, the reader assumes they are being spoken to directly and immediately tries to relate. With “The Journey”, the narrator speaks to “you” and explains how “you” must only worry about yourself no matter the struggles going on around you or what others might say to sway you from your personal success.

            As you read a memoir or book, you can pull out quotations from what one says within the piece that alters the way the reader perceives the overall message or a character’s development. Yet, Oliver does something unique in using a quote in a poem. Although, it may not seem like much, this quote adds a giant sense of urgency for the reader. Reading the line “Mend my life!” (Oliver 6, 92), makes one realize that what is really necessary is the proverbial mending of one’s life. The reader can infer that the character’s life is in shambles and this creates a sense of urgency along with the exclamation mark, which is the universal sign for excitement and urgency depending on the context. It makes the reader continue to reader to find the resolution in the climax. Yet, this isn’t the only importance of the quote. After rereading the poem multiple times, a reader’s or audience’s attention can continuously can be pulled directly toward the quote, and much like the majority of the poem, it’s incredibly relatable. That’s what the premise of the poem is, to relate and connect with not only the narrator but with yourself. To realize what your true problems are. The quote serves that purpose; it’s the reader saying “Mend my life!” (Oliver 6), once they realize they have their own problems.

While looking analyzing the poem, the reader can find that the entire purpose was to explain struggle. You can see this in the structure of the poem, as it is formed much like a book. The beginning of the poem is set up much like the beginning of the poem, which gives quickly to the rising action. 

“When the whole house

began to tremble

and you felt the old tug

at your ankles” (Oliver lines 6-9).

These lines serve as the rising action that gets the audience invested into the plotline of the poem. Leading into the climax where the audience can then be drawn in by the quote within the poem. This, in turn, pulls the audience’s attention into themselves, much like a book. They can feel themselves in the particular situation laid out by Oliver. This allows the reader to personally identify with their own struggles and the contents of the poem. The quote mentioned prior can give so much meaning, allowing the reader’s investment to become so pure and genuine. Oliver pulls the reader’s attention beautifully by structuring this poem much like a romantic book. The quote can have many meanings to different people, whether it be a struggle or an actual house trembling in a natural disaster; you’re put there by the word “you”, and you’re able to personalize the poem by personalizing its message.

            In conclusion, Mary Oliver’s poem, “The Journey”, is a very compelling piece. Oliver does many small things within her poem that can really stand out to a reader if they pay close attention to detail and background. Oliver uses the word “you” to create a sense of someone watching you as the reader, and making sure that the reader is able to personalize with the struggle of the narrator. Oliver also uses a quote to create urgency so the reader feels as if the poem will not be resolved until the end, it makes the reader think and continue to read. Yet, the biggest part of the poem is Oliver’s structure. She uses the plotline of a story, much like a romantic novel, to produce a piece in which the reader can relate to specific and genuine struggle making this poem universal. 
