When speaking of a difficult topic regarding yourself, it is not uncommon for the words “my friend” or “you” to be used in place of the word “I”. It can be inferred that Mary Oliver used this tactic in her free-verse poem “The Journey”. Having personal experience in writing poetry as well as substituting “I” for “you” in difficult pieces of writing, it is evident that Oliver is using “you” as a way to deflect her own issues as well place the blame she feels for herself onto an imaginary third party. It can also be inferred that she is deflecting her own dark thoughts onto “the voices” These common deflections are exemplified in her tone as well as her personal connection to these words.   

Throughout the poem, Oliver treats “you” as a deflection of herself.  It is always less complicated to express painful topics without actually admitting they are your own tribulations. The tone of the poem suggests the “you” Oliver is referring to is herself. She sounds extremely relieved the “you” has finally escaped “the voices”, saying “as you left their voices behind,/ the stars began to burn/ through the sheets of clouds” (Oliver 24-26). This visual has a remarkably strong positive connotation, it is as if the “you” has finally opened their eyes for the first time. 

Contrastingly, in the beginning of the writing she seems incredibly tired, like “the voices” are physically wearing her out. By Oliver saying “you felt the old tug/ at your ankles” (8-9), reminds the readers that this is not the first time there has been a tug of the ankles, trying to drag the “you” to a dark, unwanted place. Speaking of the “old tug” , Oliver comes off as being very familiar with such tug, like she has dealt with and continues to deal with it personally. Not only does Oliver seem connected to the “old tug” but her tone also suggests that she has intimate experiences with “the voice”. If she were writing about another individual there is a very small possibility she would be able to express the emotions and strife the struggling person is undergoing with such passion and detail, if she did not experience it first hand.  

Depending on the tone and personality a piece of writing contains “you” can oftentimes seem to carry blame. Writing the word “you” or “your” fifteen times in one thirty-five line poem is almost excessive. The overuse of this word can demonstrate that Oliver blames the “you” for “the voices”, that the whole purpose of said voices is to torment the “you”. Not only is the pronoun used in excess it seems to carry a lot of weight. Throughout the beginning of the poem the context surrounding the repeated “you” sounds heavy and regretful. For example when Oliver opens the piece by saying “you finally knew” (1) it can be inferred  that the “you” has been dealing with the torment for an extended period of time and has done nothing to resolve the issue, until now. Meaning that Oliver blames herself, but like the tumultuous part of her life she denies to admit that the blame is all hers.  However, by the conclusion of the composition Oliver’s tone regarding the “you” becomes lighter and more optimistic once the “you” finally escapes the tortuous “voices”.   

Not only does Oliver deflect the “you” away from herself, but she also deflects “the voices”. These soul darkening voices are yet another digression from her own mind. It can not be a simple thing to admit. That your own psyche has betrayed you, that your own mind is the reason for your unhappiness. Although the voices can be looked at as society, at some point throughout every woman’s life society and her own thoughts meld into one colossal, judgemental mush. Which is understandable, how many times can one individual hear something until they start to believe it? Unfortunately in Mary Oliver’s case, she had a seemingly difficult time separating society from her own thoughts. These grim ideals manifested into something that would be more manageable, like “the voice”. 

When Oliver says “through the whole house” (6)  the reader can get the impression that the “the house” Oliver discusses is not a house at all. The reader can infer that the house is yet another deflection of Oliver’s self. The house is her own mind, her own body. The house “trembles” from the “voices”, however, it can be viewed as Oliver and the constant upset she feels when the “voices” torment her. The beration Oliver endures from the “voices” is a constant phenomenon that rattles her “house” to its core.    

Using the word “you” as a deflection of yourself is a common tactic when writing about difficult topics. Mary Oliver uses “you” as a understandable cop-out while discussing an arduous area of her life. It is obviously easier for many people to express such hard times when not admitting they are their own. While using the pronoun “you” Oliver reveals her own adversity as well as the blame she puts on herself. Mary Oliver does not halt her self-deflection there, she also portrays the “voices” as others when in reality the voices are just the dark, frightening corners of her mind. In today’s day and age it is less complicated to place your own problems on others, or imaginary figures then to admit they are your own.  It is evident through tone and Oliver’s intense connection to the content and people of the poem that she is hiding behind the  “you” and the “voices”  in order to prohibit her own self-blame. 
