Life is about self-discovery, becoming an individual. Unfortunately many people never realize who they really are they go through life wondering not becoming the people who they are supposed to be. The Journey by Mary Oliver does a wonderful job of making the reader think about where they are on life’s journey. Thoughts of our place in society begin to ensue, and one cannot help but wonder if society is in control or are you? What then shall one do if it is discovered that he is in fact not in control should you try to “Mend my Life” as suggested in “The Journey” (Line 10, Oliver 92) or wonder aimlessly?

Words on a page can evoke many feelings when read; Mary Oliver is deliberate in the words she chose for the poem “The Journey.” The words that stood out at first read are you, finally, knew and one day. The effect that those words have on the reader is profound. The reader is presented with two choices after reading those words, 1. Do something to better yourself if you realize that something is amiss or 2. Continue living in denial. If you understand what the overall message of Oliver’s poem is, then bettering oneself would be the obvious choice.

Vim and vigor are the words that come to mind when thinking about the feelings that percolate within after reading “The Journey.” The line “ one day you finally knew what you had to do, and began “ leads you on a path to self-discovery. The reader cannot help but wonder, am I in the space I am supposed to be or is the life I am living someone else’s? The question is answered through deep thoughts and personal reflection and the realization that your life might not be your own. 

The poems has a long and flowing rhythm, the writer entices you with the notion that you need to stand up and fix whatever is wrong with your life. The flow of the poem could be compare to life’s flow. Often times we wonder through life just flowing along not really living, diving deeper and deeper into an abyss that takes over our space. When we realize what is going it is too late to remedy the madness that has become reality.

The straightforwardness of the poem is telling the reader to realize now what you have to do because you already know what to do. You have to do it now before it becomes too late. The words come off the page with such urgency one cannot help but reflect and think about the deeper meaning that is presented before them. That deeper meaning is presented in the poem and the meaning is straightforward, “One day you finally knew what you have to do, and began” as stated in “The Journey” by Mary Oliver (Line 1-2, Oliver 92).

Oliver’s syntactic arrangement forces the reader to think, which lends it self well to the message that she is trying to convey to reader. The writing style is obvious, this Oliver does purposely to lead the reader on a path to discover ones true self. The sentences are complex yet simple, complex because they present a deeper meaning and simple because well they are easy to understand. Oliver also wants the reader to ignore the voices telling us that we cannot, which is simple to understand but the complex part that might be difficult to grasp is that self-doubt is the enemy to a well-lived life.

Throughout the poem the punctuation has followed the overall theme of the poem it flowed nicely as the message is conveyed. Things change toward the end of the poem where there is one long sentence that seem to run on. This conveys to the reader that as the end approaches Oliver wants to be certain that the message is clear even if she has to continue talking without pause.

Persuasion is the style that Oliver uses in “The Journey” she is trying and succeeding in inviting the reader to take control of your life. Oliver does a fantastic job in making the reader realize that society can be cruel if you do not fit into a little normal box. She invites us to take control and realize who we are. We can take control and live the life that we truly desire rather than stumble through life in the dark. 

Life is not easy in fact for many life is extremely difficult, however there is always a choice to be made in the quality of life you lead. Oliver’s poem forces the reader to look what their life is and encourages the reader with some urgency to make changes if necessary to be fulfilled. This can be accomplished by forgetting what society thinks of you and doing what pleases you, besides normal is overrated and what exactly is normal anyway? Life is meant to be enjoyed and Oliver conveys that beautifully in her masterpiece. 

 