Whether your journey may involve venturing as a first year student in college or moving to an entirely bizarre country, Mary Oliver’s poem The Journey is applicable. A journey is defined as a long and often difficult process of personal change and development, Oliver would agree with this definition because she highlights the process of beginning a journey as difficult juxtaposed with the reward and new sense of purpose that comes from the “personal change and development” associated with completing a journey. Nearly every human will embark on a journey at some point in their life to all of who, Oliver’s work is applicable. Oliver makes use of structure and word choice throughout her striking poem to create awareness for the reader about the trials and rewards coupled with embarking on a new journey. 

Poem structure can be a major implement of creating meaningful and relatable works when. The structure of The Journey creates interest and relatability for someone reading with a keen eye. Oliver uses this structure to essentially divide her work into two parts; a positive part and a negative part. These two sections of The Journey are sandwiched around an inflection point that serves as turning point in the poem. Oliver writes The Journey in this manner to convey a greater truth about the trepidations of embarking on a journey. A turning point such as this serves to highlight the moment where an individual will realize the benefits of his or her journey after the arduous beginning. For example, the first half of the poem contains descriptive language such as “melancholy,” “terrible,” and “cried.” These words carry a negative connotation with most readers and likewise, would evoke feelings of sadness. Oliver writes the first half of The Journey in such a manner to show readers the challenges that are associated with beginning a brand new journey in life. Before the second positive portion of Oliver’s work, she writes “But little by little/ as you left their voices behind/ the stars began to burn” (Oliver 23-25). This line invokes a much different reaction with its positive word choice. With her differential word choice, Oliver wishes to highlight the moment in one’s journey where you “[leave] their voices behind” (Oliver 24), as the turning point for where you begin to discover your own new voice. After this key turning point and image of triumph, Oliver proceeds with positive word choice to demonstrate the beneficial aspects of completing or nearing the end of a transformative journey.  Oliver writes that the new voice you will discover will “keep you company” (Oliver 30) as you travel “deeper and deeper into the world” (Oliver 31-32). Along with listing benefits, Oliver sticks to words that evoke a positive connotation as “save,” “burn,” and “determined.” Through her use of varying word choice, It is very clear that Oliver splits The Journey into a negative and positive part to demonstrate that a real journey is at first a negative experience but becomes rewarding and worthwhile toward the finale.

Coupled with her application of structure, Oliver’s largely unique word choice and overall writing style play a role into how the reader relates to her work. Many sentences in The Journey are irreplaceable; they are essential to the understanding and theme of the poem. Being able to place so much meaning in such a short work attests to Oliver’s skill as a poet and writer. Analyzing these key sentences can provide the reader with understanding of the double edged sword which represents beginning a journey. For example, Oliver writes, “Through the sheets of clouds… there was a new voice” (Oliver 26-27). This excerpt demonstrates how once the confusion and mystery surrounding the start of a new journey has been overcome, one can find a new purpose in life. This is highlighted through Oliver’s use of the phrase “sheets of clouds” which implies concealment or shrouding. Along with the phrase “there was a new voice,” it is clear that Oliver wishes to convey that nearing the end of one’s journey is much like a new voice calling you to a different purpose – originally clouded from view - after leaving all you had behind. Conversely, Oliver also uses her mastery of language to show the reader how difficult beginning a new journey is. She writes “Though the wind pried/ with its stiff fingers/ at the very foundations” (Oliver 14-26). This image conveys to the reader the difficulty of leaving a familiar place when beginning a journey. The imagery of “stiff fingers” prying “at the very foundations” evokes a sense that someone beginning a journey is torn away from their past life viciously making the transition seem almost painful due to Oliver’s mastery of word choice. If Oliver had used a less impressive choice of words in The Journey her work would lose its continuity for potential readers as well a “sticking power” that leaves readers with a sense of understanding for the message Oliver wishes to convey. Through the use of expert word choice Oliver is able to create a more relatable experience for the reader that truly highlights the juxtaposition between the pain and reward of starting a journey.

Making the choice to begin a journey can often seem to bring only pain at first until you find a new voice to carry you forward in the new environment in which you enter. Oliver’s work uses a varying structure and explicit word choice to detail for readers the stages of beginning a new journey. The captivating word choice furthers The Journey’s ability to gain a readers interest while Oliver’s poem structure highlights the various parts of a journey. No doubt setting out for personal change and development can seem daunting at first as you break ties with your old self and surroundings. However, as the end of your journey approaches, great rewards will be discovered for those who avidly commit to finding their own voice in a world where other’s cries for help can drown out the sound of yourself.
