Since the dawn of time, humans have relied on one action to keep their bloodline going and populate their species.  That one action is known as sexual intercourse, an action that can pass down the genetics of two different people as well as populate their species.  There is nothing wrong with sexual intercourse despite what is constantly taught by adults to people who are younger than them.  Sexual interaction is a human thing to perform and should not be shamed upon, it is also in many different forms of media.

Every literary text has its own meaning which serves as the purpose for why it was written.  For Mary Oliver’s “The Journey”, This piece of literature has many different meanings for a person to interpret.  Every book has a theme and the theme of The Journey is about a person overcoming the fears that come with first taking part in sexual interaction.  The text has many examples that will prove this conclusion.  This essay will provide different types of evidence that show that Oliver had intended for this essay to be a lewder piece.

The proposal might seem rather ludicrous at first but any inane idea had to start as just an idea.  From the beginning Oliver starts off with “One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began” (Oliver, 92).  In a different light, she could be saying that one day, they finally knew what they had to do, they finally knew that their purpose was to embrace the pleasures of the flesh.  Oliver also states that there are voices shouting bad advice such as friends, family, or a person’s own conscious.  Oliver urges the reader to not listen to this advice as she believes the true purpose of this person is to have sexual relations.

These examples from Oliver’s poem are just two of many different statements she gives to strengthen her theme.  One line that also stands out is “and you felt the old tug at your ankles”  A point where someone would be on their knees, tugging at the pants of the other person (Oliver, 92).  This could also mean that one of the people in this sexual engagement is becoming aroused as it’s probably not foreign by now and they feel that strange sensation within their legs. 

The voices in the next line “you didn’t stop”, shows that Oliver is getting closer to when the emotions between the two people begin to fire up (Oliver, 92).  When in that moment, it becomes hard for either person to stop; the emotions that are in the room really begin to control the people.  This would be around the time where they would be taking off their clothes, preparing for the entire act.  Next mentions “though the wind pried with its stiff fingers” here Oliver is comparing the person on their knees to the wind (Oliver, 92).  They seem to want the other one above them to take off their pants already hurrying the person along.

The next line “It was already too late” is how the two have gotten so far into their own lust that nothing could really stop them (Oliver, 92).  Neither had wanted to stop, it was too late for them to stop, for anyone to stop them, even those voices fell deaf to their ears.  “The road full of fallen branches and stones” are like roadblocks (Oliver, 92).  Road blocks could be a variety of problems that a pair could encounter during this session of lovemaking.  This could range from size, personal tightness, or even requiring some kind of emotional preparation.

Oliver now states that while two people are having sexual intercourse, those voices are now leaving them and they can decide how they view the entire interaction “little by little, as you left their voices behind” (Oliver, 92) . “The stars began to burn” this is that moment when a person feels that curling sensation, that burning desire to finally release out that sexual tension that they had from the beginning of this poem (Oliver, 92) “Through the sheets of clouds” this is a metaphor for male semen being in sheets, white like the color (Oliver, 92).  The poem seems to have so many different forms of imagery that Oliver is trying to communicate with the reader.

The rest of the poem talks about a new voice, the voice of success in succeeding within their endeavors.  Like after a person has a new encounter or experience, this would be the first time the person had sex most likely.  Therefore that new voice is the new thought in the mind after experiencing this interaction, a new opinion.  The poem goes on to display how a person will continue to go deeper and deeper, determined to fill their own sexual lust.

So in conclusion, Oliver’s poem was to represent the first point of encountering sexual excitement as well as intercourse.  Oliver had intended this poem to encourage to go out and seek this excitement rather than preach it to be a terrible action.  She wanted to show that there is nothing wrong about having sexual intercourse, something that children are told is not acceptable since the day they step into school.  Oliver wants people to be able to explore, not be tied down by the word of any adults.  Her first goal is to get rid of what has been ostracized repeatedly by adults despite how there is nothing truly wrong with this interaction.
