Journeys Essay with Robert Gray Poetry and Related Material

Journey is an expedition, as much as it is physical, it is also emotional and imaginative. In the process of embarking on a journey an individual must discover something about themselves or the society which is found through obstacles. As such, the radio drama ‘Flowers for Algernon adapted by Bert coules and written by Daniel Keyes, displays that the strength of the human spirit is essential for the journey if an individual is to overcome the obstacles and gain new perspectives and understanding of themselves and the world. Contrastingly, in ‘Flowers for Algernon’ directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris , the strength of the human spirit is essential for the journey, if individuals embark on a physical journey to guide themselves to reflect

The famous poet Mary Oliver once wrote in her poem “The Journey”, “One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began”. Oliver’s belief is seen in classic and modern literature about journeys. Many people and characters have experienced very difficult journeys in their life. “The Cruelest Journey”, a travel biography by Kira Salak, depicts her six-hundred-mile journey on the Niger River to be the first person in the world to kayak the journey alone. She travels through the most dangerous and bleak regions in Africa to retrace the fatal journey of Mungo Park. “The Odyssey”, an epic poem by Homer, depicts a war hero who is facing difficult challenges to be able to return back home. It takes him twenty years to return home to Ithaca. From the difficult challenges facing the characters, Homer and Salak use characterization to reveal that people embark on quests to challenge themselves to use mental efforts to triumph over obstacles, which they then learn to appreciate themselves.

The “journey” or process of achieving something or getting somewhere can be full of problems and hardships but how you got there and what you went through is what really matters. This can be demonstrated in the epic poem,”The Odyssey” by Homer, in which the main character,Odysseus goes through an extensive journey in order to return to

Journeys can be physical, metaphysical, imaginative or even unexpected, they are an essential part of human growth and development. However, journeys are not always an easy experience – they come at a cost. A metaphysical journey involves the exploration of the human potential allowing the individual to extend themselves not only mentally but physically and emotionally, such as in Margaret Atwood’s Journey to the Interior. The text is a subtle, multilayered, introspective construction, depicting the cost of the journey as an ongoing, forever changing process.

“Peter Piper” is an original song by Run D.M.C. and from this J. Simmons and D. McDaniels took a couple verses out and edited them to be used in school text book across the United States. The song was founded in 1986 and from there it was put into our text book in the poetry section because, even though people don 't realize it, rap is poetry and can teach youth about things they may or may not have experienced. Founded in 1981, Run D.M.C. was and still is considered by many to be a popular rap group. Run D.M.C. is part of the original group of people who elevated rap music from an inner-city slums mixtape to a nation wide movement; this being the reason rap music is around and

“By choosing our path, we choose our destination” A journey always contains a destination. In “An Ancient Gesture” by Edna St. Vincent Millay, the characters Ulysses and Penelope are in love but Ulysses is stuck on a journey while Penelope is left at home and her people don’t believe he is coming home while she still has hope that is slowly fading. In “The Odyssey” by Homer, the character Odysseus has been wandering for ten years on the seas, to find home to his family in ithaca. The authors use characterization and details to convey that people embark upon journeys to find what’s been lost and they learn to value trust.

An example of when the journey matters more than the destination is when you learn to be a better person from the journey. In “The Odyssey” by Homer is an epic poem about a man that learns important lessons on a 20 year journey. An example of this is “Though living still I took ship for holy Troy. Seeing this ghost I grieved, but held her off, though pang on pang of tears.” (Homer 616) I chose this evidence because this is where he showed his soft side for the first time. This proves that every person even the strongest

“Journeys provoke travellers, that may ultimately lead to transformation of self and leave the traveller far richer for the experience”

Through the use of an extended metaphor Margaret Atwood describes her inner journey as a physical one. It is possible that she is going through depression as she describes her mind as a “poor country”. Margaret Atwood does not use any rhyming pattern in her poem. This anti-technique symbolises the lack of rhythm in her journey, hence making it strenuous and often treacherous. She talks about the dangers of taking this inner journey as she finds it easy to lose herself in her mind, “I know it is easier for me to lose my way forever here, than in other landscapes”. She has learnt that she needs to keep herself sane in order to achieve a greater sense of self and find a way out of her depression. This is how my understanding, that journeys are essential to find something within oneself and lead to the discovery of oneself, has been shaped by Margaret Atwood’s poem, ‘Journey to the Interior’.

Journeys empower us to change our perspective on preconception which then leads us to new insights of people and the world. This is demonstrated

I once believed that destinations were the zenith of everything, that the journey itself was inconsequential. I deprived the journey of its indelible didactic role in defining who I was. However, my experience through engagements and discussions with different people along the way opened my eyes to the beauty of the world, and my heart to the wonders of the human soul. I have become aware that the journey is much like a dance of life, an universal rhythm out my control. Although I don’t choreograph it, I can work within the parts that are mine, with the power that is mine.

Days go by and moments vanish in a flash which means these moments and days matter. People comprehend life is fleeting and only get to live what they are given, therefore living life to the fullest is a common idea in the minds of individuals around the world. Numerous music artists and movie producers illustrate this idea of living life to the fullest in their work. Correspondingly, in the hit song, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, living the numbered days one is given is a reoccurring theme brought up throughout the duration of the song. Tears for Fears, the writers of this song explain that this is the only life given and there’s no turning back, so strive to “rule the world” in a sense. Equally, the movie producer had a similar mindset

A journey may be experienced mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually and most of the time, this journey may be a mixture of all these qualities. Journeys consist of demanding choices which can powerfully affect the individual as a whole. The reader can take the essence of the journey and sometimes the reader may incorporate some qualities into his or her lifestyle. The book, Mao’s Last Dancer by Li Cunxin (2003) shows that a journey involves Li having to make important choices for himself, which in the future, impacts on his lifestyle in an physical and emotional way. The poem, The Road not Taken by Robert Frost (1916) demonstrates that sometimes in life, you may have to reach a decision of great importance and you must evaluate both

A Narrow Road to the Deep North by Matsuo Bashou, is a well-known travel piece by an incredible poet, but because of its use of poetry itself feels less like a travel piece and more like a snapshot of the human experience through a journey. This journey is a search for spiritual enlightenment, although, along the way, Bashou captures human emotion through his poetry, as he experiences loneliness, wanderlust, worries of failure, insignificance among nature’s grandeur and spiritual rebirth. Beyond the physical travel itself Bashou’s poetry gives us a look into the complex emotions a human can experience through travel, by giving the reader images to bring feeling out in the reader. Bashou solidifies the readers understanding of his quest for spiritual enlightenment and understanding not only from his introduction to his travel, but throughout with his poetry.

“Journeys are the essential text of the human experience- the journey from birth to death, from innocence to wisdom, from ignorance to knowledge, from where we start and where we end.”