Life is a journey involving many precious moments and people you will never forget. Yet often the desire to move forward can force an individual to leave loved ones in hopes of pursuing their goals and dreams. Because of the incredible aspect of human nature that encourages success and further achievement, each individual must learn the ability to be able to continue their life's journey, with the aim of achieving their goals. In the poem The Layers written by Stanley Kunitz, the speaker seems to have traveled many paths but cannot seem to let go of his past, and as he continues to change and follow different paths he regains meaning in his life. His attempt to share his experiences with the reader manifests itself in the way he communicates the details of his journey and the ideals that guide him in life and describes the love and affection he has for his loved ones. However, each individual must discover their own path regarding their ideals in their journey, just as they would need to discover their own mistakes along the journey as well. There are many ways in which a goal or ideal can influence an individual's life. . It could be the simple feeling of accomplishment and the result of meaning for one's life, or simply goals can conclude the feeling of change and retain the wisdom that attracts people. Such an existence can cause a compulsion to never feel the desire to end the journey and to forever aspire towards new goals. This is what happened to the speaker of the poem “The Layers” written by Stanley Kunitz. On an endless journey the speaker continues to discover new paths as he looks back at his past, learning from his mistakes, this grants him the st...... middle of paper ......a journey of endless discoveries again can be pursued alone. The second choice offers complete renunciation of the ideal or goal, to remain close to loved ones. The speaker of the poem “The Layers” by Stanley Kunitz chose the first path, one in which he sacrificed his desire for his friends to achieve greater goals. The speaker's sense of acceptance of his own perception of ideology and the way he looks at life as it offers him endless loss and change alters his entire presence in a way he chooses to continue on the journey of change and continuous learning. Furthermore, the loss of his family and friends only encourages him to move forward as he embraces the beauty of change with great optimism, finding meaning and balance in his existence, which is significantly influenced by his ideals and perception of life..