Experiences of discovery affect an individual’s perception of their social and cultural environments. This process can stimulate new ideas, which ultimately result in emotional or spiritual discoveries. These new ideas can also challenge or affirm an individuals assumptions or beliefs. ““”RELATE TO QUESTION”””
The only voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes” – Marcel Proust.
In Robert Gray’s poems Late Ferry and The north Coast, and Dennis Lehane’s film Shutter Island, communicate how experiences of discovery can affect individual’s growth of realisation. Becoming a part of something wont cause discovery, however learning from experiences and having a different perception will. Both texts explore the process of rediscovering landscape of youth and comparing human to non-human features that are threatened by progress.

Robert Gray explores the process of rediscovering the landscape of his youth throughout his poem “Journey The North Coast.” Experiences of discovery affect an individual’s perception of their social and cultural environments. The poem reveals that his identity is revolved around his connection of being on a train, he is apart of the natural element, this shows his strong connection with landscapes and nature. The train carriage is where Gray feels more connected as it expresses his surroundings this process can stimulate new ideas, which resulted in Greys spiritual discoveries. This spiritual discovery of relationships between the persona and the north coast environment is a dominating aspect of the poem and Grays rediscovery of this brings an atmosphere of liberation. The visual imagery seen in the simile ‘slender white gum trees’ evokes the beauty and distinctiveness of the landscape, and reinforces his pleasure in his re-acquaintance with it. The reader learns about the landscape through the speaker’s relationship with it. “Ill leave my hair” indicating that the persona is not interested in conformity. Spiritual discoveries can challenge individuals beliefs from the indication of him deciding to leave his hair ‘ruffled’ suggests that the informality of country life will be a welcome change: results in a spiritual discovery as he feels he can be himself. He is rediscovering a more relaxed and satisfying way of life and challenging new beliefs of himself, resulting in discovery. This lets the audience see his true identity, that he is carefree and that the land is the reason for this new behaviour. Therefore, it is evident that Gray uses language features used to promote the sense of rediscovery. This brings the reader into the picture so that we share his sense of discovery, and the significance of his identity.

Dennis Lehane’s explores a sense of alienation, which is drawn from the conclusions of this film, if someone feels as though they do not belong they distance themselves from the world. Causing a strain in their future growth. The environment caused Teddy to search for answers, upon that he rediscovered his past. This spiritual experience is seen from the non-diegetic sound, which creates suspense to the scene. “Was the smoke that killed them not the fire” he then pulls out a cigarette, which is very ironic as his wife had died from the smoke and now he is smoking. Shows how he doesn’t have emotion towards what happened. However rediscovering this experience caused him to brake down and dissociate himself from reality. Relates to the idea of spiritual discoveries with landscape, without Gray and Teddy having a connection with landscape it would have resulted in them not finding their true sense of identity, and that would cause a barrier in future growth.

Throughout the poem ‘Late Ferry’, Robert Gray perceives the ferry as a characteristic of a simpler world, which is threatened by progress. Experiences of discovery affect an individual’s perception of their cultural environments the poem reveals negative adjectives of the ferry, which gives a