Mary Oliver was born on September 10, 1935 in Maple Heights, Ohio. By the young age of 14, Oliver began her writing career. Three years later, at the age of 17, she visited the home of Edna St. Vincent Millay-a Pulitzer Prize winning poet. She then developed a friendship with the late poet’s younger sister, Norma. For the next six to seven years, Oliver and Norma spent their time in New York, organizing Edna Millay’s papers. She later used this experience in her own career to become a notarized poet and is she is now considered one of the greatest female poets in American history. Many of her poems use nature to portray her early life experiences. Perhaps her most famous poem, The Journey, is a great example of this but is often times misinterpreted. The general consensus is that the theme of the poem is one of freedom.  However, this general theme of freedom is incorrect. Oliver actually conveys the exact opposite, a theme of restriction. 

Phrases used by Oliver like “had to do” and “only thing you could do” assist in the creation of the theme of restriction. The idea she presents of breaking convention can easily overshadow the diction of the text but the diction is crucial in shaping the mood of the poem. In the second line Mary Oliver presented the first example of restriction with the phrase “what you had to do” (2). This quote suggest that everyone has a calling that they should follow in life. The voices that she speaks of throughout the poem is everything around you that distract you from listening to your inner voice. It is important to disregard the voices because your inner self can only lead you down the right path. However, it is crucial for the reader to understand that this metaphorical path is prepaved for you and it is not your responsibility to try to create your own. She strengthens this point by saying “the only thing you could do” (32). This line adds to the restrictive theme of the poem by inferring that there is only one thing in your life that would fulfill your passions. The idea of everyone having a vocation, Oliver’s being poetry, negates the theme of freedom of choice generally associated with this poem. 

The theme of restriction can be found in other poems by Mary Oliver. “You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves”. This quote from Mary Oliver’s poem, Wild geese, is another example of her idea of restrictive life choices. The phrase “soft animals” portrays the idea that like animals, us humans have certain instinctual behaviors we must follow. Animals are restricted to these instincts in the same way that humans are restricted to their calling. However, unlike animals we can ignore these “instincts” and still survive but this will result in an unhappy life. “Love what it loves” in the latter half of the quote only strengthens the meaning of “soft animals” in the first half. Oliver pushes the idea that the “soft animals” of our bodies have already had a love for something and it is not our role to find this love but to let it occur freely. Mary Oliver wants the reader to understand that all we must do to truly be successful is love what our self naturally loves.

A journey by most definitions is traveling from one place to another. Voyagers do not set off on a journey without a set destination. Mary Oliver’s choice of title for the poem is no accident. By her metaphorically calling life a journey she expresses the fact that in life we have a destination we should strive to reach. In contrast, many people misinterpret the poem to compare life as more of a wandering, in which we blindly set course for nowhere.

 The title of the poem is an example of this “Journey” we take in life; wild geese make the journey every winter to warmer weather. On this journey they do not become side tracked or stray off course, much like we should be through the journey we take through life, never being distracted by the voices of society. We, the wild geese, should have one end goal in mind and do not have to wander on this path, unsure of where we are going. 

The poem also shows the beauty of finding your vocation. I think that this poem is a very accurate description of what it is like to discover one’s vocation. A vocation is something you “have to do”, something you will gravitate toward despite the “bad advice” and the “old tug” of those around you pulling you back or in other directions.

And there is always a moment where you must “leave their voices behind”, and when you do, the “stars begin to burn”. Suddenly, you can hear your own voice and it “keeps you company”. I love the description of the burning stars here; the world is brighter, richer, and more beautiful when you are doing the thing you were born to do. The burning stars deliver a sense of beauty, but they also draw up the idea of destiny or fate as though the stars are burning with pleasure that their decree is being carried out. 

The diction of The Journey, other poems by Mary Oliver, and her life story all reinforce the poem’s theme of restriction. Mary Oliver’s word choice of “had to do” and “only thing to do” show that she believes that there is only one correct path for everyone. She presents this same idea in other poems such as Wild Geese so her audience can unveil this idea of fate she presents. These two points may not be enough to solidify my argument but extensive knowledge into Mary Oliver’s past would definitely do just that. From the very young age of 14, Oliver knew exactly what she “had to do”. She never strayed from this path and did everything possible to make this dream come true even when the house began to tremble. She exhibited even further with her late life partner. Even though society may view her sexual orientation one way she did what she wanted. This is an important to grasp because many people let the voices and bad advice deter them from doing what the soft animals of their body loves to do. In the end you must ask yourself what you love to do and if you are willing to take the possible criticism that come along with doing it because nothing you love will come easy. 

 