Mary Oliver's Journey

The poem “12” (from ‘Gitanjali’) written by Rabindranath Tagore is a story that tells of one’s mental journey deep into their soul and mind, in hopes of finding who they truly are as a person. Also on the journey is the protagonist of “The Journey”, a poem written by Mary Oliver that speaks of one’s tiredness of dealing with other people’s problems and their physical journey of solidarity and self discovery. In both of these pieces of poetry, the protagonist is on a journey, whether mental or physical, in hopes of changing their perspectives on their lives. Coming from the poem “12” (from ‘Gitanjali’) the protagonist undergoes a profound change in their outlook on life during the progression of their mental journey. In the beginning, they embark
They went from a life of tending to other people and reliance to a life where they can finally listen to just their voice and have a newfound sense of freedom over themselves. Despite taking different kinds of journeys, both protagonists experience significant changes in their perspectives on life. The protagonist of “12 (from ‘Gitanjali’) discovers via their mental journey that “it is the most distant course that comes nearest to thyself”, which finally results in the simplicity of their self-understanding. They reaffirm who they are by knocking on alien doors and traversing outer planets. On the other hand, the protagonist of “The Journey” travels physically while carrying the weight of other people’s expectations of yearning for some