Joy Harjo’s unique and creative storytelling shines through in “Perhaps the World Ends Here.” Honored for her amazing poems, Joy Harjo, from Tulsa, Oklahoma, incorporates themes of feminism and social justice into her poems. Named as the first Native American poet laureate, Harjo often explores subjects of identity, belonging, and the connections we all share. Harjo also teaches, plays saxophone, and sings. Having performed for many years with her band, Harjo has released various albums. Her work is also deeply connected with politics and tradition, especially in American society. Harjo’s poetry explores truths shared by everyone and blends elements from her indigenous culture and many others. The depth in her writing has earned her praise …show more content…
Throughout the whole poem, Harjo vividly describes the act of gathering around a kitchen table. She illustrates the universal experiences shared around a kitchen table, for example “We chase chickens or dogs away from it”. Babies teeth at the corners. They scrape their knees under it,”(Harjo 3). This enriches the image the author tries to show and shows how multiple stages of life revolve around the kitchen table. Harjo describes experiences that apply to many people, regardless of where they live. Describing the annoyances that happen at the kitchen table makes the reader reflect and feel nostalgia on these insignificant moments, showing that even the most unspectacular moments will be ingrained in people’s memory. In the final lines she describes the kitchen table as a place where “We are laughing and crying, eating the last sweet bite,” (Harjo 11). Harjo demonstrates the human emotions that happen at the kitchen table, highlighting the role of people’s daily interactions. Harjo’s use of imagery enhances the reader’s experience of the …show more content…
In her poem, Harjo uses the central object, a kitchen table, as an essential metaphor. This table represents itself as, “A house in the rain, an umbrella in the sun,” (Harjo 7). Through this quote, Harjo describes how the kitchen table is a sanctuary from the troubles of life. The table brings people together, which makes it a sanctuary and grants a sense of security to the table. By providing an image of an umbrella in the sun, Harjo shows how a kitchen table can be a place where you can take a rest from the intensity of daily life. To portray the table’s role as a universal guardian and unifier, Harjo utilizes various creative meanings for this. When Harjo describes the table as a place where “children are given instructions on what it means to be human,” (Harjo 4), she is demonstrating the important family values that are taught at the table. This described place shows how the table transmits traditions and forms people’s identities. The role of the table acts as a symbol of human bonds and universal experiences, Harjo displays all this by using creative metaphors. Finally, Harjo’s use of symbolism acts as the cherry on top to transform the table into a meaningful
Two greatly artistic pieces is the song “Chicken Fried” by Zac Brown Band, and the poem “Living Room” by david Yezzi. In this case, though it is a great piece, the song “Chicken Fried” by Zac Brown Band is not as artistic as the poem “Living Room” by David Yezzi. The use of similes, rhyme scheme, diction, symbolism, and just overall theme, truly makes “Living Room” the more artistic piece. Each have their pro’s and con’s, and each have powerful poetic devices, some more than others. Though both pieces have artistic grounds, both have elements that really makes them special, and different from each other.
Fulfilling the roles of both mother and breadwinner creates an assortment of reactions for the narrator. In the poem’s opening lines, she commences her day in the harried role as a mother, and with “too much to do,” (2) expresses her struggle with balancing priorities. After saying goodbye to her children she rushes out the door, transitioning from both, one role to the next, as well as, one emotion to another. As the day continues, when reflecting on
“Abandoned Farmhouse” and “Ode to Family Photographs” both capture the theme, essence of family. However, one poem highlights turbulent times and the other emphasizes flaws that add to the memory of family in a positive way. The mood of “Abandoned Farmhouse” is dark and lonesome, whereas the mood of “Ode to Family Photographs” is fatuous and nostalgic. Each poem shows evidence of a mood which contributes to the overall meaning of the poem.
...ng” which all have been directed to the experiences of female perspectives. . Through hip-hop, Jerilynn approporatelydelivered messages of female experiences as she states, “...to provide safe spaced for people to express themselves...”(Warner). Drawing on feminist and intersectional theories, this paper highlighted JB The First lady’s demonstrates bodies of possibilities since she counters the negative labels of assumptions of Native women and encourages them to fight against it. Her analysed works, “Get Ready, Get Steady” and “Too late to apologize” discuss the issues in Native communities. In summary, JB the First Lady states, “ “A lot of our music talks about manifesting and encouraging people to find their own gifts and where they come from” (Hong). Thus, Jerilynn’s goal is to motivate the fallen youth of the Native community to get back up and be the change.
Joy Foster was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on May 9th, 1951 to Wynema Baker and Allen W. Foster. She is an enrolled member of the Creek tribe, and is also of Cherokee, French, and Irish descent. Descended from a long line of tribal leaders on her father’s side, including Monahwee, leader of the Red Stick War against Andrew Jackson, she often incorporates into her poetry themes of Indian survival amidst contemporary American life. In 1970, at the age of 19, with the blessings of her parents, Foster took the last name of her maternal grandmother, Naomi Harjo. As she often credits her great aunt, Lois Harjo, with teaching her about her Indian identity, this name change may have helped her to solidify her public link with this heritage.
This is Where It Ends by: Marieke Nijkamp is a great book to read. This book comes from four students' point of views as they are victims of a school shooting. We will follow each character point of views during the shooting. While this book has not been made into a movie, it could very easily be put to music. A successful soundtrack for this book would include some suspenseful songs, since it is about a school shooting and the different backgrounds of the characters in this book
As one of America’s leading contemporary poet’s, Sharon Olds is known for the intense personal and emotional poetry that she writes. Her ability to intimately and graphically divulge details of her personal life allows readers to delve into the deepest parts of not only her mind, but of their own as well. Sharon Olds uses her writing to allow readers to experience the good and bad of life through her eyes, yet allows readers the interpretive freedom to define her works as they fit into their own lives. Olds’ ability to depict both wonderful and tragic events in stories such as “First Thanksgiving” and “Still Life in Landscape”with beautifully gruesome clarity allow readers a gritty real-life experience unlike any other.
In the poem, Harjo portrays the importance of recalling the past to help shape one’s identity. She uses the repetition of the word “Remember” to remind that while the past may be history, it still is a defining factor in people’s lives (l. 1). This literary technique
Symbolism and imagery help Harwood to achieve the poem’s purpose in creating a sympathetic tone towards the woman’s struggle. The use of rhyming couplets and irregular short sentences create a hectic and disorganised structure and rhythm to the poem, which symbolises the mother’s life. Harwood uses emotive description and olfactory imagery to allow the audience to experience exactly what the woman is feeling. “A pot boils over.
In the first three lines of the poem, Harjo talks about opening oneself up to nature where you feel yourself. She does this by connecting the human body to the sky, earth, sun, and moon. The next six lines talk about the concepts and aspects during prayer and how you are in a whole other place. In these first nine lines, Harjo uses repetition with prayer and shows parallelism with the peacefulness nature and prayer can bring to oneself. Harjo also uses similes in lines ten and twenty two. She compares the circle of life to that of the eagle as well as the eagle to an angle.
In life all humanity faces a struggle or heartbreak that seems almost impossible to make it through. In the poem Everybody Has a Heartache the author Joy Harjo discusses and introduces the opinion that everyone faces a heartache or blues. The author goes into detail about the different kinds of heartbreak that goes on in a variety of peoples’ everyday life. This poem was very interesting to me because the author chose very diverse and out of the normal heartbreaks for her characters to face rather than the normal heartbreaks that everyone can see. The author used several literary devices to establish an emotional connection with the readers.
This poem includes quotes with informal language that children or teens would better understand. It’s narrative-based style is easy to follow, and although the poem covers very basic concepts, it’s message is still communicated subliminally. This particular poem is interesting because it focusses on the universal experience of pain and it’s relation to time. Similar to this is “The Householder”, written in a cyclical style, opening with a “house” and ending with a “home”. With only three stanzas, it is
The author uses imagery, contrasting diction, tones, and symbols in the poem to show two very different sides of the parent-child relationship. The poem’s theme is that even though parents and teenagers may have their disagreements, there is still an underlying love that binds the family together and helps them bridge their gap that is between them.
Jay Harjo’s poem delves into the theme of memory by making the reader recall and acknowledge the deep connections between their own ancestry and the natural world. She emphasises remembering the origins of life, from stories of the stars and the moon to the personal struggle and sacrifices our ancestors had to go through to get to where we are today.. By invoking the elements of earth— in the lines “Remember the earth whose skin you are:/red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth/ brown earth, we are earth.—uses personification to highlight the link between humans and the earth, suggesting that we are not merely on this planet but of it, made from the same materials and subject to the same The repetition of the word "Remember" serves as a powerful incantation, binding the reader to the natural world, their ancestors, and ultimately, to the broader universe, highlighting the notion that memory is a vital link to understanding the essence of life itself. Matthew attempts to make it clear to a person who will be alive in 50 years that their generation did not harm the environment out of resentment. Instead, he suggests that by ignoring the risks and taking nature for granted, humans unintentionally destroyed the earth.
Why in the world did he just walk into that room? That’s a very common question, though locations may vary, that people ask themselves while watching a scary movie. The most frustrating part about it is seeing multiple characters walk into the hands of death, even though their gut instinct told them to run away. Though absurd, people often times shoot themselves in the feet. In Nicholson Baker’s short story Subsoil, the main character does exactly that. Nile T. Milner, an agricultural historian, suffered an unlikely death at the tubers of killer potatoes. Nile T. Milner’s inability to overcome his fear of confrontation, stemming from his reluctance to heed to his instincts, proved to be his major flaw, resulting in his tragic death which should