In the poem “The Journey” by Mary Oliver, she writes about overcoming obstacles on a long voyage. Throughout this voyage, many voices try to stop the person on their journey, and convince them not to continue. Other physical obstacles are also encountered along the way, that the voyager must overcome if they want to continue on their way. These obstacles vary from one another, and each require either physical or emotional strength to overcome. Mary Oliver uses the repetition of the idea of nature in her poem “The Journey” to convey the struggle and the difficulty that everyone encounters during the process of life.

The first use of nature is found in line fourteen when the word “wind” is used. Oliver states, “You knew what you had to do, though the wind pried with its stiff fingers at the very foundations” (14). Nature is used here as another obstacle that the person has to overcome. The wind is trying to break down the outside of the house to get to the inside and the foundation, which compares to the people trying to break a person down and get to them. The significance of the foundation being the target is because without a foundation, a house will not stand. This foundation is like the personality and emotions of a person that keeps them strong and gives them support when they need it. The personification of the wind prying at the house shows how some people will try with all their might to get to that foundation. The use of the word “prying” shows that it is hard to get to the inside and the wind is struggling. This struggle shows how some people may seem tough on the outside even though they are going through a struggle with something or someone else. Wind is used as an obstacle, because wind is just air that starts blowing fast. Air is always there, and it never appears as a threat. In fact, air is a necessity for living, and one depends on it. However, when air becomes wind, it can cause serious damage. This obstacle relates to people or things that someone wouldn’t expect to inhibit or hurt them, however they can and will under the right conditions.

The second use of nature is in line twenty two when fallen branches and stones are encountered. Oliver states, “It was already late enough, and a wild night, and the road full of fallen branches and stones.” (22). Nature is also used here as another obstacle that the person overcomes in their journey. However, the meaning of the sticks and stones can have a different interpretation. Branches, or sticks, and stones have fallen on the road, and make it harder to make it down the road. This obstacle is mostly one that deals physical damage. After a wild night, which can elude to a fight or implication, the only visible evidence of the event is the physical damage that can be seen, like bruises or cuts on the outside of a body. This obstacle is similar to when sticks and stones are also mentioned in the saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” In the saying, the sticks and stones cause actual physical damage to the speaker. This saying follows the same manner of the poem, and could be why sticks and stones are used and not other things, such as leaves or dirt. This obstacle of pain could be an injury that an athlete has to recover from, or it could be one that can make everyday tasks harder to accomplish. Overcoming this type of obstacle is essential to regaining strength, either emotionally or physically, especially for an athlete if they wish to continue their journey of competing in their sport. 

The third use of nature is in lines twenty five and twenty six when stars and clouds are mentioned. Oliver states, “But little by little, as you left their voices behind, the stars began to burn through the sheets of clouds” (25-26). This time the use of nature has two meanings, however they go together. The clouds are finally clearing, to make space for the stars that have been trapped behind them. Although the clouds aren’t an obstacle that the person has to actually overcome, they still block the only light that can be used to see the road at night. Stars can either refer to the balls of plasma in the sky that shine bright, or they can refer to people. When referring to someone who excels at their job, such as a great actor, or athlete, they will usually be called a star, and for that person to receive their fame, they had to work for it. When the clouds finally clear and they can shine through, their hard work has paid off.  The shape of a star can also be related with success. When a little kid does well on a test, the teacher may put a sticker of a star, or draw a star on their paper to show they did a good job. Whichever version of the interpretation of star is used, it still represents a goal that people strive to successfully complete. This use of nature has a positive meaning, however the clouds do not. The clouds block the stars from shining, and therefore once the clouds dissipate, the stars can reach their full potential and achieve their goal. 

The many uses of nature in the text have similar uses, but different meanings. The wind, branches, stones, and clouds are all obstacles that the person has to overcome while on their journey to make it to the end. Personification is constantly used for nature throughout the poem. This personification gives a closer relationship of the examples of nature to actual people that are doing the damage and makes them more human like. The reason that nature is used so frequently is not just because the text takes place outside, but instead for a much deeper reason. There are many different elements to nature, and even though it can be peaceful, it can also be destructive in several ways. Mary Oliver uses this variety to get the point across that obstacles can come in many different forms, and even if at these obstacles appear to be innocent, they can quickly become destructive. Nature is also familiar to everyone, and so is the task of overcoming obstacles. A single person is not the only person who needs air in order to live, and that same person is neither the only person who fails, and has to try again, or get back up. Nature is always around oneself, and so are obstacles, and it is just a way of life to struggle getting over obstacles.
