In "Going Horne" by Maurice Kenny, the image of an emotionally taxing journey is illustrated among words somber to the eye. The reader is exposed to a memory associated with a sadness of its own creation. Maurice Kenny utilizes the power of image to convey his emotional standing in regard to what home meant in the particular moments he shares. Through powerful language presented as images in one's mind’s eye, the reader is able to connect to the experience of being lonely, anxious, and longing to belong because Maurice Kenny is able to establish an emotional foundation through imagery; serving as a map throughout his poem which creates a space for the reader to feel the emotions he is conveying.

In the first paragraph of Kenny's poem, an image of stillness is presented. He describes his surroundings in a bleak manner, speaking of no excitement, thus a depressive state is introduced. Books are often meant to be read; yet the narrator's "book lay unread"(Kenny). An idle book can warrant a sense of disinterest in one's surroundings. A disinterest in one's surroundings could affluently warrant a sense of sadness or depression. As human beings we often associate different dualities and binaries to our reality to understand it. One duality being "Sunny" or "Gloomy", which can portray how humans tend to associate different patterns of weather with different states of mind. Maurice Kenny presents a parallel between the narrator's state of mind with the weather in inserting the image of "snow gathered at the window," (Kenny). In the portrayal of somber weather, the reader is presented with feelings of stagnancy and detachment. Stagnation and detachment have the ability to be present in one's perception and experience of home, especially when an individual feels as though they do not belong somewhere. Maurice Kenny's ability to convey his emotions of his personal relationship with his ideas of home illuminates how different individuals internalize their surroundings and experiences.

The negativity correlated with Maurice Kenny's feeling's of home speaks of feeling lost and confused, as well as a desire to fulfill a craving for belonging. The reader is able to experience a sense of displacement and discontent as Brooklyn is described as superficial and dull. Maurice describes his surroundings as "home to gossipy aunts", "cold graves under willows and pine" and "tired rivers and closed paper mills," (Kenny). The narrator's eye is focused on the literal and metaphorical eye sores of the region he is traveling through. His focus displays emotions of disconnect and sufferable incognizance. The attention to detail towards the existential aspects of existence presents the reader with feelings of discontinuity. The reader sees images of places, people, and things which seemingly serve no purpose or only serve to harm in the grand scheme of longevity. Positive feelings of home are not usually associated with concepts such as discontinuity, detachment, discontentment, and ultimately suffering. Therefore, the reader can understand Maurice Kenny's feelings and emotions of home are anything but positive. Through Kenny's description we see an individual who is lacking a vital sense of being. The individual's experience in the poem tells a story of being unhappy with current circumstances and the results of feeling unable to escape an unsatisfying lifestyle. Maurice Kenny's written experience demonstrates a narrative not often granted the opportunity to be seen as a common affliction.

Yet the words born from the human experience of feeling spiritually directionally challenged, unsure of an identity to claim, resonate among the readers of Maurice Kenny.

Moreover, Maurice Kenny portrays concepts of unbelonging and isolation as he says "home from Brooklyn to the reservation- that was not home- to songs I could not sing- to dances I could not dance,"(Kenny). Being unable to express oneself as an individual can result in enormous amounts of damage on one's sense of identity and home. Human being's long for inclusivity and connection in their home life, without it, humans must endure sensations of turmoil due to not feeling as though there is no place for them in the world. Horne is a concept often encapsulated with idealized ideas of being accepted and nurtured, therefore when individuals do not experience acceptance and nurturement, home dynamics run the risk of being skewed in a painful perception and experience.  The experience of dejection from their home is apparent when an image of "Brooklyn bars and ghetto rats" is imprinted into the reader’s mind. The powerful transition of language to imagery allows the reader to gain and understanding of what it is like to be the narrator, and experience the emotions which encompass compounding emotions of grief and lackluster in relation to one's sense of home.

Overall, "Going Horne" by Maurice Kenny is a beautiful demonstration of the journey in finding one's place in the world. Maurice Kenny uses imagery and language to initiate a conversation about the obstacles an individual may face when searching for their rightful home. By the end of the poem, the reader is unable to know undoubtedly whether the narrator did find their rightful home or not, but they are able to know the search is on. The acknowledgement of a search for home creates the foundation for others who are also in search of their home to feel a sense of belonging in the midst of loneliness.