An Analysis Of Mary Oliver's The Journey

I definitely agree with some of Emerson’s ideas and claims in the text. Throughout the passage, he states that one should follow their own instincts and beliefs. He starts off by stating that, “To believe your own thought, to believe what is true to you in your private heart is true for all men, -that is genius.” It’s clear that the author wants the readers to become more as individuals, rather than living up to social expectations. He also emphasizes that it’s crucial to listen to your heart and one’s own voice. Emerson believes that individual experience has a greater impact on someone than the knowledge gained from books. “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string… Great men have always done so, and confided themselves childlike …show more content…
Oliver writes about a person who one day, realized what he/she had to do. This person is someone who is trying to look for the light in the darkness of his/her life for he/she no longer wants to be a broken individual. At first, he/she was so focused on the “bad advice” that everyone was telling him/her. The author starts the poem off with “shouting their bad advice...tremble...old tug...melancholy...terrible...wild night...fallen branches and stones.” She includes all these keywords to represent a sense of negativity in the life of this person. She then includes words or phrases such as “stars began to burn...a new voice....kept you company...to save the only life” to portray a positive vibe and a change in the mood/background. It’s a poem about the journey one takes through life in order to become an individual. From the beginning of the poem, the speaker introduces us to the sudden realization that we can follow and listen to our hearts and still excel through the difficult journey we call life. When Oliver specifically states, “The voices around us”, she means the voices of society, who apparently do nothing but shout "their bad advice”. To elaborate, we live in a world where in order to be considered “normal” we must fit into our society. We must first be accepted by the people around us before we can accept ourselves. The speaker leaves us …show more content…
Both emphasize the importance of depending and finding yourself. This message is a universal theme that you can connect to, as it can be seen through a variety of scenarios. Emerson realizes that independence is very important, however it is never a problem to ask for help or get involved with the people and events around you. In contrast, Oliver writes about someone who tries to avoid the struggles and negativity around him/her and must support themselves in order to overcome the obstacles around him/her. Both texts are important reminders that one must have a balance at appropriate times between being independent and receiving help from