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Faith Clapper

Ms. Holt

English 1P; Period 5

9th June 2017

Journeys

Journeys are one of the most scariest and exciting adventures one may encounter in life to

learn more about themselves. In one of the texts, The Journey, by Mary Oliver, shows how the

speaker is trapped in the doubt the voices say to them and learns to overcome it by taking a

journey. Another story called, The Odyssey, by Homer, tells about a brave hero Odysseus who

is trying to get back to his home and faces many monsters. Throughout their journeys, Odysseus

from The Odyssey changes by becoming loyal and the speaker from The Journey changes by

becoming more confident.

In The Odyssey, Odysseus changes throughout his whole journey to be more loyal.

However, before he changed throughout his adventure, he was not loyal by cheating on his wife

and by being arrogant with his pride. The text states, Circe of Aeaea the enchantress, desired

me, and detained me in her hall (Homer 372). This line shows how Odysseus was not loyal to

his wife and was detained. Furthermore, the myth states, Yet it is true, each day I long for

home, long for the sight of home (Homer 1209). The quote displays how Odysseus has
changed through his journey by turning down immortality in order to see his wife and home

instead. This passage shows how he has become loyal to

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his wife and not other women. As a result, Odysseuss change helps him become a loyal man to

his wife after his journey.

In the poem, The Journey by Mary Oliver, the speaker in the poem changes by

becoming more confident in herself. Before the speaker changes, she was listening to the doubt

others had to say about her. The poem provides an example, The voices around you kept

shouting their bad advice (Oliver 3-5). The lines show the voices around the speaker make them

feel trapped and less confident in themself. The passage also describes how isolated the speaker

felt before their journey. In addition, the text shows, As you left their voices behind, the stars

began to born through sheets of clouds, and there was a new voice, which slowly recognized as

your own (Oliver 24-29). This quote describes how the speaker slowly gains vision of her own

voice rather than the other voices that had doubted her. The passage displays how the speaker

changes by gaining more confidence in herself by taking a journey. Based on the evidence, the

speakers change helps them gain confidence and leaves the past behind after the journey.

In conclusion, we learn how both characters change throughout their journeys by learning

how to be loyal and confident. Journeys often teach us things simple as a little lesson in life or
how to deal with certain situations. They are also what make us who we are today. Everyone

takes a journey that teaches them something, and we end up changing ourselves for the better.

Journeys dont change, they are what change us.