       Mary Oliver’s “The Journey” is a poem that describes the struggle to find one’s own voice. The author uses different writing techniques to emphasize the theme. First, the author uses purposely chosen words to help the reader relate to the poem. The next technique used by the author is the choice of words used to describe the internal battle. Lastly, the layout of the poem further accentuates certain words and phrases that bring forth the theme. Through analysis of these elements, we can see how these writing techniques help the reader to understand the struggle described in the poem that leads to finding a voice of your own.  

Upon initial analysis of the poem, the author chooses words that immediately draw the reader in.  The first word that stands out when first reading this poem is “you.” The reader is drawn in with the use of this word in the first line of the poem. It immediately provokes the reader to apply the poem to his or her own life. Oliver could have chosen to specify the character as “he” or “she,” but with the choice of the word, “you,” the poem becomes more personal. The reader can then apply their own struggles to identify with the poem.

The ability to make the poem personal to the reader is further developed by the description of barriers to moving forward.  When Oliver begins describing the journey, she says, “One day you finally knew…though the voices around you kept shouting,” (Oliver, 1-3) which demonstrates to the audience that the voices are an outside source. By using the term “voices,” the reader can personalize the poem. What the voices sound like and where they come from is left for the reader to determine.  

In contrast, when the author begins to describe your voice, she states that you “slowly recognize as your own” (Oliver, 28-29).  This use of words adds to the irony of having to find your own voice.  The “voice” that should be the loudest and clearest takes time to recognized.  The irony in this statement helps to further demonstrate the struggle you must sometimes go through in order to achieve a goal. 

       Oliver uses external forces found in nature to describe an internal battle.  In the poem, it states, “You knew what you had to do, though the wind pried with its stiff fingers,” (Oliver, 13-15) which shows how the external forces are pushing against the character on their journey. The choice of words helps the reader understand what a struggle it can be to move beyond barriers in life.  The “fingers” are prying at theation of the person.  Using personification of the wind helps to create a visual for the reader of how powerful external forces can influence you.  

The use of nature in the poem continues as Oliver describes the journey as, “A wild night, and road full of fallen branches and stones” (Oliver, 21-22).  By using nature to describe an internal struggle, it helps create an image of how difficult it can be to find your own voice in life.  Much like branches and stones can cause a person to stumble, listening to others can also result in a person stumbling along their journey.  

The author then uses nature again in the revelation of finding your own voice. She says, “The stars began to burn through the sheet of clouds, and there was a new voice” (Oliver, 25-26).  By using the forces of nature to describe the finding of your voice, it helps the audience understand how the character now feels at the end of this long journey. The “clouds” mentioned in the poem describe how the character was blocked from having a clear vision. Then, Oliver using the burning of the “stars” as a sign of breaking through and finding the light. “Burning” is an interesting word choice. We typically think of a star shining, but, in this instance, Oliver uses the word “burn.” It gives the reader a sense of action taken as opposed to being passive.  The choice of words also creates a visual of going from darkness to light and contrasts the night and darkness described at the beginning of the poem.           

       Lastly, the author is purposeful in choosing the layout of the poem to help further drive home the theme. Although the poems are actually written in sentence form, each line of the poem is a portion of the sentence specifically chose to break at specific points. These breaking points cause the reader to pause and reflect on the words used. For example, the phrase, “kept shouting” (Oliver, 4) is on its own line. This makes the reader think about how powerful the distractions are that keep you from hearing your own voice. The last stanza begins with the phrase, “But little by little” (Oliver, 23). This phrase separated out lets the reader know that this was truly a journey, and not something that happened all at once. Another example of using the layout of the poem to make the reader stop and think is when the phrase, “But you didn’t stop” (Oliver, 12) was used at the end of the stanza on its own line. Although the sentence is short, it is very powerful. The voices and distractions are creating a struggle for the character, but Oliver puts this simple, but strong sentence to show the determination it takes to overcome those who hold you back. 

       There are several elements in the text that contribute to development of the theme of the poem. Use of these elements helps paint the picture to the theme of finding your own voice. Throughout her poem, Oliver chooses words such as “voices” and “you” to make the poem more personal and applicable to the reader. The author also uses external forces of nature to assist the reader with understanding the struggles of finding your voice. The author was purposeful in choosing the layout to help the reader to pause and reflect as the poem is read. “The Journey” possesses simple yet strong language that shows the journey one must go through to find their own voice.  
