The Journey By Mary Oliver Essay

Is it necessary for individuals to change themselves for the better? Although both “The Journey” and “Wild Geese” are both written by Mary Oliver, the latter takes a more open minded approach to the question.

“The Journey” by Mary Oliver addresses theme of self through using second person pronouns, creating a stronger connection with the reader. Throughout the poem, the speaker never identifies themselves through first person pronouns. Instead, lines such as “One day you finally knew / what you had to do,” and “you felt the old tug / at your ankles,” narrates the thoughts of a “you” throughout the poem. Its consistent use of the second person suggests that the reader is the focus of the poem, making it more personal to them. This connects with the theme of self presented, as when the speaker says the “you” is “determined to save / the only life you could save.” In this instance, the only life “you” could save refers to “your” life, suggesting that only one can change their own life for the better. Because of the line’s use of second person pronouns, this forces the reader to think of a time where they positively changed themselves.

Despite “The Journey” being composed of one stanza, there is a clear turning point in the poem when the speaker

Although it is not as much of a turning point as the former, there is anaphora in the middle three sentences beginning with “meanwhile”, which clearly sets this portion aside from the rest of the poem. As this section strays from the use of any second person pronoun, this establishes the independence of the three lines from the rest of the poem. It also portrays images of nature, such as the “sun...moving across the landscapes” and the “wild geese...heading home”. The independence of this segment from the rest of the poem supports the idea that individuals are also independent from society, suggesting that personal change is not