Everyone travels a path in life, but it is often not an easy one. The poem “The Journey” written by Mary Oliver is a story about taking control of your own life. Oliver uses strong metaphors, rich imagery, and repetition to provide the reader with a compelling argument to listen to their own voice instead of the influences of others, and by doing so they will become their true self. 

In the first four lines of the poem the speaker states “One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice” (Oliver 92). Voices are a metaphor to express the influences people have on each other. There are many influences on people in everyday life not just the opinions of others. People are constantly influenced by celebrities, advertisements, and unrealistic expectations. Oliver isn’t just talking about other people’s opinions; she’s talking about all the influences in day to day life. Often times advertisements and celebrities give people the idea that they have to dress or act a certain way in order to feel accepted, which is not true. The lines “One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began” is used to show when people understand the problem, and can identify the negative influences in their life, it’s all up to them to make a change. Oliver uses “you” to put the idea in the reader’s head that only they themselves can change their mindset. The line “Kept shouting their bad advice” is used as a way to relate to the metaphor of voices to the bad advice that represents negative influences. This allows the reader to understand the negative consequences of listening to bad influences in a way that relates to the context of the poem.

From lines 6-16 the speaker states “though the whole house began to tremble…though the wind pried with its stiff fingers at the very foundations” (Oliver 92).  The house, foundation, and wind are all used as metaphors to portray different types of influence on the mind. The house represents a person’s mind, the place that houses their ideas, beliefs, and thoughts. The foundation depicts the ideas, beliefs, and thoughts a person has. A solid foundation is crucial to the structure of the house. Without a good foundation the house is weak and can cam collapse if tested by harsh conditions. This is a metaphor for the mind of the person. Foundations represent the ideas, beliefs and thoughts of the mind, and in the same sense of a house, if a person doesn’t have good moral ideas and beliefs they will ultimately lose control and crumble, just like a house with a poor foundation would. Wind represents the negative influences on the mind. “The wind pries at the foundation” is a metaphor that represents how bad influences can corrupt the ideas and beliefs of a person. If a person doesn’t have a strong moral compass, negative influences will destroy their mind the same way strong winds would wreck a house with a poor foundation.

Oliver uses “As you left their voices behind, the stars began to burn through the sheet of clouds, and there was a new voice which you slowly recognized as your own” (Oliver 92) “As you left their voices behind” to inform the reader they must start to leave the negative influences in their life behind. Oliver again relates influences to voices, she wants the reader to understand once they have identified the issues, they can move on and leave the negativity in the past. In the lines “Stars began to burn through the sheet of clouds” Stars illustrate a person’s true self, and the sheets of cloud again represent influence. Oliver is stating that once the negative influences are left behind, a person’s true self starts to overtake the negative influences in their life. She wants the reader to understand that once the negativity is gone one’s real self can be found. This is reiterated in the lines “and there was a new voice which you slowly recognized as your own.” Voice in this instance isn’t talking about influence but rather a clear mind free of destructive input, and with a free mindset, one starts to find their true self. 

The lines “the only thing you could do, determined to save the only life you could save” further reiterates the fact that a person must have the will to change as well as an understanding that only they have the power to make a change for themselves. The line “The only thing you could do” informs the reader that it’s up to them and them only to make the change. A person can’t change someone else’s mindset, and vis-versa. It is completely up to the mindset someone brings to a situation to be able to choose between the negative and positive influences in their life. These lines are placed at the end of the poem to make sure the reader comes away with the idea that being who they strive to be is ultimately up to them and if they listen to themselves and not the negative influences of others, they can achieve that goal. 

Mary Oliver’s “The Journey” is a poem that focuses on the importance of listening to yourself and disregarding the negative inputs of others. Oliver’s quality metaphors and picturesque imagery allows the reader to get a solid grasp on the message she is trying to get across. She wants the reader to understand that only “you” can make a change in your life, and that there will always be problems and negative influences in your life, but with determination and the will to overcome adversity, you will see yourself for how you truly want to be.
