The Alchemist And Walt Whitman's Journey

Novelist and poet, Rainer Maria Rilke once said, “The only journey is the one within”(Rainer Maria Rilke Quotes). Meaning, what makes a journey important is how one changes and learns from the experience. The claims made in this quote are well proven in relatively new literature and even one of the oldest poems still studied today. The Odyssey is a famous, well known epic poem. It was written by the renowned poet, Homer, in ancient greek times. The Odyssey follows a man known as Odysseus, he just left fighting in the Trojan war after years. Odysseus has quite the adventure due to the gods’ and goddesses’ constant manipulation, all in the hope of reaching his homeland, Ithaca, and beloved family. Quite the opposite, much younger and shorter “The Journey” is a poem written by Mary Oliver in the 1900s. This poem relays what a journey really is and the purpose of going on journeys. Despite the differences between The Odyssey and “The Journey”, the two both use figurative language to convey a very similar message. People embark on journeys to fill an empty void and learn what they appreciate in life.

The first two obstacles that Santiago faces are that his father tells him he can not do something that he wants to do and that he wants to pursue his personal legend, but he does not want to hurt those that he loves. For example, Santiago’s father said, “The

Throughout the book, Coelho addresses the attractive quality and the sense of security that wealth and acceptable social status bring. Nevertheless, he also illustrates that one must reject the lure of riches and reputation in order to attain one’s highest potential. At first, Santiago ignores his dream to travel to Egypt because of his strong desire to earn back the money that he has lost due to the robbery. As such, Santiago becomes employed at a crystal shop and works “incessantly, thinking only of putting aside enough money so that he could return to Spain with pride” (62). Instead of saving his money for a trip across the Sahara desert to pursue his dream, at this time, Santiago wishes to return to Spain to become a shepherd once again. Here, Santiago is tempted to permanently settle down and live among people. Furthermore, Santiago also encounters a group of tribesmen and becomes a prisoner along with the alchemist. When the alchemist gives up all of Santiago’s gold, Santiago gets upset and says “You gave them everything I had! Everything I’ve saved in my entire life!” (141). Santiago is frustrated because he has saved up enough to live a life luxurious back home. Although Santiago’s sacrifice of wealth is unwillingly done by another individual, it allows him to continue his path of becoming his Personal Legend as it spares his life. By sacrificing his earthly desire and obsession with fortune, Santiago’s

The Narrator explains that people can’t always do things they would like to do. In the novel, Santiago runs into dilemmas, but improvised to still continue his

All heroes around the world go through a journey of their own. Those journeys can be a physical, , mental, emotional journey, and lots more. These types of personal journeys are demonstrated in an epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, an interview, The Hero’s adventure by Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers, a short poem, Courage by Anne Sexton, a graphic novel, The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds. They all show how journeys can be transformative and show a person’s strengths and/or weaknesses.

We will not always have the chance to go on a journey so when we can embrace it. In a poem written by C.P. Cavafy it talks about the importance of journeys. It talks about the importance of enjoying the journey and of finding and buying mementos to remind them of their journey. It also talks about the importance of never

The paths taken in each person’s lifetime can associate with any factor or situation that one may come across. For example, one could come across a path that stands for tradition and the effect of traditional beliefs on a society like the one represented in “Dead Man’s Path.” Another example could be a path that stands for the power of love and the effect of unselfishness that makes one continue with life like the one represented in “A Worn Path.” An additional example could be a path that stands for overcoming doubts of beliefs as these may uphold or tear one apart like the path represented in “Young Goodman Brown.” No path is easier than another and they all hold a spectacular significance in each person’s life. Therefore, in this independent

Life is the journey, the inevitable journey, and the experiences thoughout life, the journeys within the journey, are the planned and unplanned experiences that change people and are a huge part of a person’s moral and personal growth. In the novella “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad, the physical journey through the Congo is parallel to the inner journey of the main character Marlow. Similarly, the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, relates on both a literal and metaphoric level to the concept of a journey. The individuals’ creation of their own direction on a journey is

Small or big, everything we do in life is part of our journey. Reg Harris’ “The Hero’s Journey” describes the voyage one takes throughout life to grow and change as a person. He breaks the journey down into eight steps leading to the return. It starts out as a goal that isn’t always easy to reach, one goes through hardship and personal doubts only to succeed and become a better person. An example of this journey can be found in the movie, Troy through the character Achilles. Achilles is a strong fearless warrior in the movie, Troy who goes through “The Hero’s Journey” and ends up with a change of heart.

The journey,not the arrival is what matters in human experience. It can be said that when one takes the first steps of a journey, that person will be forever changed as they will no longer be the way they were. As on travels, through physical or inner journeys the experiences one has, the decisions one makes and the affects of those decisions enables one to grow and develop in new and unexpected ways. These ideas are explored in Roberts frosts poem the “road not taken” and Peter Skrzynecki's poem “crossing the red sea” in both poems, journey is represented as both a physical and inner state of journeying that all people experience Journeys last forever. Decisions that lead to another can continue throughout one’s life. Proof of this is embedded in “way leads on to way”,a form of repetition shows the continuous nature of the process of journeying. “Ages and ages hence” also represents the similar idea, future tense is used show how the future is undeniably full of new and exciting journeys. Both quotes allow us to understand that the persona understands that journey is continuous/that a journey never ends. Frost shows us that there are a number of possibilities that can all be assessed once a decision is made.

A journey is not just a voyage one physically goes on from one place to another, rather it is also a mental and emotional process. On journeys such as that, calm seas and fair winds will not always be destined; in fact, throughout ones travel, one will encounter many challenges, physically, mentally and emotionally, that will affect not only the individual but those who encounter them as well. Homer’s epic nostos, The Odyssey, as well as the movies Iphigenia and The Clash of the Titans all include characters that endure transformative journeys home.

When speaking of the journey one is speaking of an act in which the mind or the body are going through a vigor of change and an instance of importance. The journey, whether literal or figurative, is a thing that could impact life, reason, and even passion for what one holds dear. Such as a woman realizing that medicine is their calling or a man having a roller coaster of emotions during their daily viewing of their favorite television show, a journey can be anything and at any level of life, but always an instance of importance.

Almost everyone is aware of the common belief that the journey is more important than the destination. However, this is more applicable than imagined. Journeys can help people find themselves in more ways than one. While they can be helpful, it does not mean that they will be easy. Journeys are meant to challenge people in different ways and to help them find a better self. Whether the journey is physical, emotional, or spiritual, there will be trials and times where more effort is necessary.

In conclusion an individual’s journey could always involve the process of learning, maturation and self-discovery as a personal development. Therefore inner journeys increase our personal knowledge and understanding of others, although the play Away by Michael Gow and the film To Kill a Mockingbird by Robert mulligan involve three types of journey. They all demonstrated the inner journey throughout the play and the film giving us an understanding of an individual’s journey could have an impact on others. I would like to end my speech with a quote by Greg Anderson ‘Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing