Life is like a journey. People may sometimes get lost because of uncertain direction, or get in trouble due to barriers on the path. However, people are always driven by some external circumstance but not by what their hearts really want: Should they follow them, or find their own ways? For solutions, Mary Oliver, a famous poet who used to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1984, shows us her extraordinary understanding toward the doubt.

“The Journey” is a poem that originally written by Mary Oliver in 1986. Although the title consists of the word “journey”. In fact, there is nothing relate to a real journey throughout the poem. When finishing reading the poem, the puzzle is: “What is the journey and where would people go?” After close reading and trying to figure out the main idea of this work an idea finally appears that the “Journey” actually reflects “life”. To be more specified, as Oliver wrote in her poem: “Mend my life” (line 10). People make an attempt to change their life just like they are making plan for a journey. When considering life, life is sweet, is bitter. All in all, life is full and varied. There is no doubt that many people used to regarded their life as a journey. That is to say, that “Journey” is actually a common identification of some readers.

The poet writes the poem just like she is having a conversation with readers. For example, “you” is the most common call in the poem. In this way, people who read the poem may not just consider the poem but also themselves and that is how the poem works. A great poem is to inspire author as well as reader. 

When comes to some special use of words in this poem, it is believed that every of them serves as important elements to the whole poem and the main idea. For instance, as Oliver writes: “though the voices around you/keep shouting/their bad advice” (lines3-5). In this sentence, “bad advice” is definitely not what people usually say in daily life. On the contrary, it reflects a force, a force that makes people change their mind to adapt to it. This can be difficulties in life or some expectations from parents, boss and friends. “and you feel the old tug/at your ankle” (lines8-9), old tug, stands for bound, the bound that force people to live the life that they do not really want to live. “though the wind pried/with its stiff finger/at the very foundation” (lines14-15) is another sentence that gives object human quality, notice that the poet use “pried” here.

“The Journey” is a poem that have a lot of metaphor. Every element in this work seems to be normal but they contribute to the deeper theme. In other words, those sentences have double meaning. As Oliver writes in her work: “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 your company” (lines25-30). Everything will be fine as the scene become beautiful at the end of the poem. It’s a symbol that people begin to recognize themselves from their heart: They would consider what is the life they really want to live and how many “scene” they have missed during so many years of constant life that follows other’s expectations.

Poem is not that complex as some literature or professional article, so does “The Journey”. Mary Oliver’s work makes it easier for readers to approach and experience sympathetic feeling. Also, a poem is always a real reflect of author’s personal experience. As reader look back to the background of Mary Oliver, a famous poet who used to give up degree in university and finally chose writing as her main work all her life. They may recognize that the woman is doing what she encourages to do: To know yourself and live your own life. 

“Determine to do/the only thing you could do-/determined to save/the only life you could save” (lines33-36) finally shows reader the main point of the poem. When reading this ending sentence, people who are living or used to live a life that they feel like being restricted may consider a question: “Do I really want to keep that way I am living? Is there any change needed?” This is how the poem works.  Many poets try their best to inspire readers who may have the same question as them. Noticed that most sentences Oliver uses are simple since all of them are in active voice. Besides that, the poet writes the poem mostly using second person “you” to emphasizes that “your” personal idea plays an important part in life. A poem is not a simple writing, on the contrary, it demands the poet to focus more on the main idea.

As Oliver writes: “It was already late/enough, and a wild night, /and the road full of fallen/branches and stones” (lines19-22). People may always face all kinds of dilemma in lifetime and those difficulties are just like the fallen, branches and stones. To those who want to mend their life, maybe the intuition from their heart is the best choice.
