In Mary Oliver’s “The Journey “, the word voice is interpreted in different ways to improve the text. Oliver shows, in this story that one may face many challenges in a journey to success. But staying true to a voice and not letting distractions get in the way, anything is possible. Mary uses devices, such as metaphors and repetition, to increase the meaning and strength of the poem. Using these literary devices with the word voice, makes a difference on the text. In this paper I will analyze and interpret each use of the word voice throughout the text, to determine how the repetition of voice improves the text by giving different meanings, which can help apply to the reader’s real life journey. 

The author repeats this word, voice, to create a better understanding of the text. The word appears 4 different times in the poem, but has a different meaning every time and has its own role to effect the story. The first time the word voice is used in the text, is line three, with “though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice”. One can interpret this meaning of voice to represent the hardships and challenges that are faced every day. The “bad advice” these voices are shouting, are the distractions and tasks that are separating us from achieving what we want. The voices are trying to convince change and failure, because they don’t want to see succession. In this situation one can say that “they” represents the world. The natural world throws challenge’s our way, and presents obstacles that we have to get through. I know this because the poem starts off with the realization of a goal that the writer is trying to chase, but shows us that the voices are shouting to try and get us off track. Oliver uses the word shouting to show how extreme the challenges can be. The line from “The Journey” that says, “the whole house began trembling” is a representation of how hard and difficult the obstacles will be, and that failure will occur sometimes. Life is not meant to be easy, it’s supposed to be a long journey that presents one with different obstacles in the way of reaching a goal. The key is not to avoid failure, but how to respond to the voices that are trying to hold one back. From this interpretation of voice, the reader understands that there are hard challenges through the journey. By knowing this interpretation, it creates a sense of awareness in life for any obstacles. One can learn to avoid, or endure through obstacles which will benefit them as they travel through the journey of life. Learning to avoid certain voices, is a way the audience can apply a lesson to their life. 

The next time we see voice is in line eleven, “’Mend my life! ‘each voice cried.” In this context, one can believe that voice is used in a more figurative form to represent all the opinions of one’s peers and family that affect their life. By this I mean that usually the people that bring down dreams are assumed to be people outside one’s life. This text is saying that it can also be the ones that are close to you. Since they’re so close to you, they believe that they know what’s best for you and try to lead you in a direction that they want to see you go in. Oliver is warning us to be aware of this, because even though they’re close lovers or friends, they can’t decide what’s best for another person. To prevent this, one needs to keep their voice and not alter their voice based on anyone else. Changing to satisfy others would take you off the track to your own success. This idea still supports and furthers the main theme of being independent and believing in yourself, but surprises us to see that even those who are close to us, still want to see a change in approaching our goals. I know this is the main point because the author describes the voices as melancholy, showing that they are gloomy and tearing down the hopes of our dreams. From seeing this interpretation of voice, the reader learns that they have to keep their voice strong and original. One can learn from this interpretation to never change the way they are, which is represented by voice. Keeping your voice strong and bold is another life lesson to hold on to during the journey of life, because it teaches the audience to be independent and true to their selves. 

Finally, we see voice in line twenty-seven, “and there was a new voice which you slowly recognized as your own”. This meaning of voice is a symbolic for confidence within yourself, beliefs, and determination to overcome all the other loud voices. Oliver starts this story off with multiple loud voices, but through the story she shows us in the end that there is only one solitary voice. This solitary voice could represent one’s confidence throughout the journey. In the beginning of the story the voice is small and weak. Through the journey of life, the outcome shows a new strong confident voice. Oliver does this to emphasize how important and powerful your own single voice can be, while struggling through all the other voices and challenges in our life. Once again this point supports the main idea by showing that through the dark skies, the only light you can find is your own. From this you learn that confidence within your own voice is what makes it come alive. The voice is quiet until the end of “The Journey” because learning your confidence is done throughout the journey of life, to see who you become. The author goes through the poem describing different types of “voices.” Each voice is a learning tool in life that can be applied to the audience. This final form of voice, is what the reader has been looking for the whole journey. Finding the confidence in your voice, teaches the audience that you have to believe in your voice before anyone else will. From this interpretation of voice, the audience can take away that an objective through life’s journey is gaining confidence in your voice. By gaining the confidence in the final step of voice, one can ultimately reach the goal through life’s journey, which is establishing a true original voice. This could be a collaboration of all the lessons learned from the different interpretations of voices, formed into one. 

The word voice is used in different ways in this poem to show differences in the interpretations of voices we hear every day. Not all of these voices are literal, but metaphorical also. We can learn a lesson from each type of voice. For example, in the first interpretation of voice the word is metaphorical for challenges and hardships that we face presented by the world. The audience can use this information to avoid or endure obstacles, which makes life easier for the reader. They also represent literal voices that are meant to distract us from our goal. Knowing this version of voice, gives the audience the lesson of independence from the rest of the world. Finally, finding our own confidence in our voice is the goal achieved through the journey of life. Learning to avoid obstacles, be independent, and confident in one’s self are all lessons from Oliver that one can learn to apply to our lives. It’s clear that each meaning of voice differs in the poem, from different interpretations. These interpretations are used by the audience, as a learning tool to apply through the journey of life. By using repetition and different meaning of the word voice, the author creates emphasis on the fact that your voice is the strongest and most powerful tool you have. 