The Journey by Mary Oliver is a poem of journey, but what sort of journey the poet writes about is not immediately clear. Perhaps she is describing the journey one makes when entering life after death, or it could be about the process of someone overcoming addiction, or of someone becoming his or her own person by separating from the standards that society sets. I originally perceived this poem as the journey into the afterlife because of one line in particular: “as you left their voices behind, the stars began to burn through the sheets of clouds, and there was a new voice” (line 27). At first take, the image reminded me of leaving the people whom you have loved in this life and entering either Heaven or Hell, hearing the voice of either God or Satan. However, my opinion on the meaning of this poem changed after I read it multiple times and studied it as a whole. The other imagery in the poem led me to a different conclusion—that Oliver is writing about her transition out of toxic relationships with family into healthy, self-discovery and freedom. But because she leaves the details so vague and uses symbolism with flexible interpretation, the poem can have an even larger application by describing the universal journey of escape from whatever holds one back from achieving a self-determined existence.

The imagery is eerie from the outset of the poem: shouting voices, a shaking house, restraints on the ankles, stormy weather and debris on a dark road. The reference to the house in line 6 is significant because it brings to mind the speaker’s family. As she attempts to leave, the “whole house began to tremble” and she seems to feel some familiar “old tug” of responsibility for “mending” the lives of those around her in the house (lines 8,10). Perhaps her family relationships are toxic in some way, caused by problems like addictions or finances or abuse, for example. Leaving behind one’s family would be incredibly difficult, even if it was the right thing to do because of a toxic situation. The family image is reinforced in the second stanza with wording like “foundations” (line 16). Could the “fallen branches and stones” be lost members of the family tree, dead or destroyed by the toxic family situation? Somehow they represent a reminder to the speaker that this battle has gone on for a long time (“it was already late enough”) (lines 19,20)).  The word choices like “melancholy” and “wild” and “late” gives the reader a sensation of urgency and great sadness (lines 17,18,19). The final stanza fits well with this interpretation of escape from a toxic family situation because it alludes to loneliness and to the psychological effect of “hearing” abusive voices as your inner dialogue even when they are not physically present. But she overcomes this when her own voice breaks through to keep her company and to guide her to the light that is a clear perception of reality (“stars began to burn through sheets of clouds” lines 25,26) Though she may feel guilty and responsible for lives of family members whom she has left, she cannot help them unless she saves her own life first, and that is suggested in the closing line of the poem: “determined to save the only life you could save” (lines 35,36).

From the beginning this poem alludes to a variety of physical and mental hurdles that must be crossed to reach a better destination. This difficult journey out of bad to good has universal application. One such application is the idea of breaking free from limitations set by cultural norms in order to pursue one’s own goals. Oliver describes the struggle at the start of The Journey a saying, “One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice” (line 5). Oliver contrasts the “bad advice” of the shouting voices in the first part of the poem with the comforting voice of your own soul, stressing the importance of one’s ability to listen to his or her own self-conscious in order to become a successful, happy individual. Having this keen sense of self is so important because your self-conscious defines you as a person and it is the one thing that you have absolute control over –the “only life you could save” (line 36). In today’s society there are expectations as to what makes a person normal, but The Journey sheds light on the importance of finding your own voice in a world where it can be difficult to push aside expectations and do something solely because of one’s own desires. I believe that when Oliver says:  

But little by little,as you left their voices behind,the stars began to burnthrough the sheets of clouds,and there was a new voice,which you slowlyrecognized as your own (lines 23-29).

she is using the stars burning through the sheets of clouds to represent the “light bulb” turning on in your brain once you really understand your ability to control your life and realize that you are not confined to your society’s needs. The poem also supports the idea that realizing you have the ability to possess your own voice and go against societal stereotypes is only half of the battle, society will always try and distract you from your personal goals. The transition into living this new way of life where you do not try to conform to any standard set on you besides your own is not an easy one, Oliver utilizes great imagery here referring to the road one would take on this journey into this new lifestyle as a “road full of branches and stones” (line 22). Those around you will try to persuade you to meet their expectations while disregarding the goals you have set for yourself. But as the poem illustrates, perseverance can help one get past these distractions and road blocks to self-determination.

The imagery, word choice and symbols present in The Journey all but confirm that this poem is about the process of breaking free from a bad situation and entering a self-determined better situation. The shackles holding the person back could be expectations that society places on its people and the tendency for these norms to prevent someone from being their own person, or something as specific as leaving behind a hurtful past with poisonous family relationships. The key message that I believe Oliver was trying to get across to the reader is that no matter what holds you back, the only way to overcome is to just “begin” and to persevere through the struggle. 
