The poem does not resolve happily. Tan does not allow the speaker to land triumphantly. Instead, the speaker realizes that "The map has drawn itself across my chest."
There is an underlying sense of perseverance. Despite the weariness that can come with long journeys (or long lives), the persona continues forward, finding beauty in the small details of the path. 3. Literary Devices & Style from journeys poem analysis keith tan free
As a Singaporean poet writing in English, Tan is acutely sensitive to the failures of language. In “From Journeys,” the traveler often tries to speak but produces only noise. The poem does not resolve happily
"Fixed geographies, unchanging histories" (Stanza 2). the persona continues forward