Since birth, everyone has lived their lives having encountered their own unique and different experiences. No one person can be a replica of another, just based off of the simple fact that no one is genetically the same, excluding twins and clones of course. For example, being raised in an enormous American city would leave someone with completely different stories and tales than someone who was raised in a small, Asian town. The environments are simply too different from each other for it to be statistically possible. The people you know, places you go, things you see, skills you develop, and personal culture you become apart of are so varied to the point where these two people would likely be extremely diverse from one another. People are shaped by the experiences that occur around them on a daily basis to such an extent that it affects more than just personality or habits, but their perception of the world around them. From politics to religion, it is incredibly likely that two individuals from varying places would not share the same views or ideas. Having come from these different places, their grasp on what they see around them would be altered from one another. Perception is what allows an individual to create meaning from the world that surrounds them as well as create meaning from the literature that they are exposed to. The differences that people experience do not have to be as drastic as being from another side of the world for a difference in perception to occur, but they can be minor in comparison. The experiences of two people from the same area in the United States could be unique enough to change the way texts are viewed, person-to-person. An example of one of these texts is Mary Oliver’s “The Journey”. “The Journey” is a text that stands out for its straightforward and relatable meaning. Additionally, because it is so straightforward, it is also notable to acknowledge that this poem has been interpreted in various ways. It is the things that one is exposed to in life that allows for the interpretation of the same words to contrast others interpretations; just as several meanings can be taken from Oliver’s “The Journey”. This poem tells the story of one girl’s journey towards self discovery, while remaining unique and true to herself, shown by Mary Oliver’s use of repetition and metaphors.

As Oliver tells a long story in a short poem, her use of repetition strongly communicates her meaning, proving how her meaning is extremely straightforward. She opens with, “One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began,” describing a beginning of the ‘journey’ (1). The way she exclaims, “what you had to do” exhibits to the reader that this journey has already begun or ended because it is in past tense. Additionally, it explains that there is a distinct reason for starting this journey. “Had to do” is a definite statement and tells the reader that there was a decision to commence upon this journey, opposed to it starting naturally. Just as someone chooses to go to college, to start a new job, or to encounter a new chapter of their life, Oliver is telling her readers about the definite choice to begin finding one’s self. She repeats this phrase several times throughout the poem as well as going on to say, “You didn’t stop. You knew what you had to do” to tell the reader how this decision had received and overcome metaphorical obstacles such as “old tug at your ankles” (11, 8). Towards the end of the poem Oliver repeats the phrase again to communicate the continuation of this journey of self-discovery by saying, “determined to do the only thing you could do- determined to save the only life you could save” (33). Her use of the word “determination” reinforces the idea that this journey was and still is an individual choice to embark upon. That choice implies that it is a journey by and for oneself, and the mention of the lives that need to be saved shows that it is a necessary journey for the continuation of a prosperous life. A person’s life is not complete nor could it be prosperous if they are unaware or are not experiencing their potential, just as Mary’s protagonist is attempting to do. Just as a talented journalist should not be working as an accountant because that is wasted potential, and a how Michael Phelps should not be sitting at a desk job because he truly one of the greatest Olympians in history, Mary Oliver is communicating that this journey is essential for self discovery and her repetition of this definite phrase “had to do” aids to that meaning. 

Mary Oliver’s use of metaphors communicates her meaning as well as illustrates the struggles of following ones dreams and staying true to oneself on their journey. She writes about the obstacles that appear along ones path, such as a “road full of fallen branches and stones”, as if they were physical barriers; when in reality she is writing about the hardships of following ones own path (21). Oliver is using metaphors to communicate that when a person is attempting to be a unique individual, there will always be roadblocks. Elvis Presley would never have been able to impact the music world the way that he did if society had not tried to stop his sporadic leg movements. Furthermore, Oliver’s protagonist most likely would not be where she is now if it was so easy for her to get there. These obstacles tried to stop her from saving herself and traveling along her own road, but she “didn’t stop” and because of that choice she has gone on to tell the tale (12). Going against everything being said to you is not a natural trait for everyone, however it ties back the idea of definite decisions. She describes “Old tug at your ankles”  and voices yelling “Mend my life” to show how others tried to hold her back and change her path, but persistently, she “didn’t stop” and was able to continue on discovering herself (8, 13). The “tug at your ankles” refers to the people in life that drag you down and stop you on your journey. Stepping passed these adversities and selfish people is then shown to be way to discover what you need to be in life. She writes, “As you left their voices behind, the stars began to burn through the clouds, and there was a new voice which you slowly recognized as your own,” showing how being your own person by leaving the negative behind, makes the “stars [begin] to burn through the clouds” (25, 26). The “stars” represent the dreams and goals that are to be reached at the end of this journey and the “clouds” represent the challenges between you and finding them. Just as clouds block and obstruct your view of the sun, stars and sky, Oliver’s metaphorical clouds have been hiding the protagonist from herself. The goals and a well-rounded understanding of herself have become more obtainable, and therefore have begun to “burn” through what was blocking them before.

Interpretation is the act of internalizing what one has said or explained, and all of the people on this planet have a different process in doing so. Some provide meaning to every occurrence using religion while others try to use science, culture or language. No one is to say that one interpretation is ‘more correct’ than another, however some are clearer and stronger than others, and Oliver’s meaning is clearly and vividly describing the road to self-discovery with repetition and metaphors. This discovery of yourself means that you are learning about yourself on a deeper level. Your understanding of your own capabilities and desires expands as you learn to push yourself further and further out of your comfort zone, which Oliver shares with her audience. Through her descriptions of breaking free and overcoming the challenges and roadblocks that others set in place for you, she shows how to rescue “the only life you could save” and how to reach ones full potential by truly finding ones self (33). 
