Summary Of Perhaps The World Ends Here By Joy Harjo

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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

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