The words of a poem often have a much deeper meaning than that which is originally read and upon closer observation reveal a deeper message.  “The Journey” by Mary Oliver is a strong example of such writings and has an overall theme of transformation through finding ones strength from within.  The choppy style of the poem along with the misplaced punctuation allows the reader to initially feel the message of struggle and brokenness in their life; however, he or she is left feeling better and stronger in seeing that one can survive and come out a better person. 

The transformation starts from the beginning as the person in the story, as we all do, has a point when life’s struggles leave us feeling fed up and we simply say, enough.  There are times in life where we all finally reach that critical breaking point when we decide that we must fight and pull from our inner self in order to save ourselves. However, there is always that nagging voice that causes our inner turmoil to become greater than even the situation we face itself.   The reference to the voices from within show that she is trying to convey that the struggles and poor decisions of the past have brought her to this point, but will not break her.  This then becomes the first part of her overall transformation to find herself and to see that she is actually stronger than she realizes at this point.  

In the process of searching and seeking, there are always those voices that may tell us we cannot accomplish what we seek to do or become.  These may be voices from our past, our present, or simply within our own heads that cause us to have self-doubt as the writer expressed.  These are the most difficult to fight because they are strong and overwhelming which leaves us feeling exhausted and stressed.  Oliver writes about the way the person in the poem must not allow these outside voices to affect our own journey leaving us feeling defeated, but to seek healing.  This is the second part of the transformation and it involves perseverance and a belief in oneself that comes from the deep parts of our souls as we all feel “the whole house began to tremble and you felt the old tug at your ankles”.  It shows a desire and determination to not give up and to lock in our heels in the process of change and ignore those inner voices. 

The struggle continues as the road becomes more difficult, cold, and lonely; and yet within herself she continues to find the answers she needs to become stronger and fight.  As the author writes “You knew what you had to do”, she seeks to find a certain level of courage as all that she knows is crumbling away to make room for the newness that lies ahead.  As change occurs letting go of what we know to be true and the basis of who we are is the most difficult thing to do; however, along with that comes the healing that she begins to desire.  The theme of transformation continues through courage in the darkness to not give up or give in.  We often find the largest amount of courage when we are at our lowest point in life and this may be where she is looking up from.  

“It was already late enough, and a wild night, and the road full of fallen branches and stones” showing how there always seem to be roadblocks or things that attempt to prevent us from moving forward in our lives.  The person is seeking to transform from the younger version of themselves into the one who desires to leave a mark on life and remain strong with a sense of clarity about their purpose.  Gradually as the voices become dimmer in us all, it is easier to begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  That light is the point when one gains a final burst of strength to see that indeed they can make it through these difficulties.  The person on their journey in this poem begins to see the stars as they shine through cloudy skies that are representative of her life.  

The poem is easily compared to many instances of life that we leave behind as we move forward into who we will become. It is relatable to the college student struggling to make sense of an assignment in dealing with the darkness of doubt from our own inside voices and misunderstandings into seeking its completion and grading.   The one item that ties the poem all together is that we must choose to make the journey and see that the work, struggles and effort will be well worth it in the end.  The choice is the key to the outcome.  Finding the strength from within allows the person to anchor who they are and what they know to be true in a manner that does not require a reliance on others. 

Like the poem, our journey is one of transformation through discovery, perseverance, courage and a desire to become an individual.   The reader pushes on as does the basis of the poem so that in the end when their journey is complete there is a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.  It allows us to see that while we want to help others and be there for others in life, we must not lose ourselves in the process.  We must allow our own transformation to happen so that it brings us to a place where we are stronger and better able to be a contribution to life around us.  

In the end the result is the transformation of a broken, battered individual who went from one of no strong sense of worth or purpose to one of confidence and determination.  The dark tone of a person who had been beaten down by life is redeemed by the rewards of strength, perseverance, and courage as the shell of who that person was becomes forgotten.  They simply knew what had to be done and did so in a manner that allows them to live in an air of light.  This sense of such powerful accomplishment comes through the gift of transformation and a belief in oneself to not be defeated;  to push forward when the winds howl and when doubt creeps in and to never allow another person or situation to rob you of your own journey. 