Joy Harjo
Biography
List of Works
By: Melissa Harms
Sample Poems
Inspired
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Original
Poems
Bibliography
Biography
Joy Harjo’s Legacy Lives On
“She energizes her poems with glimpses of Native journey lore, shape shifting, ghost
dancers, and the geographic displacement that fractures clans and tribes” (Snodgrass 1).
This was said about Joy Harjo’s poetry and how she shows her feelings
threw her work. On May 9, 1951, in Tulsa Oklahoma, Joy Foster was born as the
daughter of Allen W. and Wyema Baker Foster. She is a decent of the Muscogee Creek
Tribe, French, Cherokee, and Irish. On her father’s side, the Muscogee Creek Tribe, her
family comes from a long line of tribal leaders (McClinton-Temple and Velie1). Even
though Harjo is an enrolled member of the Muscogee Creek Tribe, she was not raised on
the Indian reservation (Wilson 1). She had a very modern American life. Lois Harjo, her
great aunt, has taught Foster about their Indian heritage. It is because of Lois Harjo why
Joy Foster took up her maternal grandmother’s last name, Harjo, in 1970 (McClintonTemple and Velie1). If she didn’t change her name then she probably wouldn’t have been
as famous as she is today. Her Native American ethnicity has been vey influential on all
of her works. Harjo’s career begins when she decided to take up a visual arts profession.
As soon as she turned sixteen, she traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico. In Santa Fe she
attended the Institute of American Indian Arts, where she studied painting and theatre
(Wilson 1). Currently she resides in Hawaii. With her ethnicity and family talent
influencing her, Harjo furthers her career with education.
Biography
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Biography (Cont)
Joy Harjo’s education was the basis of all of her achievements. Harjo graduates
from the Institute of American Indian Arts in 1968. Following her interests, she went to the
University of New Mexico. After she earned her bachelors degree in English from the
University of New Mexico, she moved to Iowa (McClinton-Temple and Velie1). She went to
the University of Iowa, graduating in 1978 with a master in fine arts degree. After receiving
her education, she moved back to Santa Fe. In the years 1978-1979, Harjo taught as an
instructor at the institute of American Indian Arts. She moved to Arizona and was a lecturer at
the Arizona State University from 1980-1981. She taught as an instructor, in Santa Fe, at The
Institute of American Indian Arts and Santa Fe Community College from 1983-1984. She
started teaching full time in 1985-1988, when Harjo taught at the University of Colorado as an
assistant professor. In 1991-1995, Harjo became a creative writing full-time professor at the
University of New Mexico (Wilson 1). In the midst of Harjo’s education and teaching she
began writing poetry. She started writing when the National Indian Political Climate wanted
vocalists and speakers. Harjo was moved with the “intensity and beauty” (Harjo and Strom 1)
of poetry. Some famous writers influenced Harjo to become a poet such as Leo Remero,
Simon Oritiz, Leslie Silko, and Galway Kinell. Because of these writers, her poetry won
numerous awards. Some examples of these awards are the American Indian Distinguished
Achievement in the Arts Award, the Josephine Miles Poetry Award, and the American William
Carlos Williams Award (Academy of American Poets 1). She also has two National
Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing fellowships in 1978 and 1992; and an honorary
doctorate from Benedictine College in 1992. These awards were given to Harjo mostly
because of her style in poetry.
Biography
List of Works
Sample Poems
Inspired
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Original
Poems
Bibliography
Biography (Cont)
Harjo uses various literary devices in her poems. In most of her poems she
uses tone, symbols, genres, sometimes imagery and metaphors, and themes. Some of her
themes are based on to re-connect with the lost. Her Native American heritage is the base
of many of her poems. Harjo writes about the sacred land, the southwest landscape, her
Muscogee Creek heritage, and ancestors (Poetry Foundation and The National Endowment
for the Arts 1). Her work is mostly autobiographical (Poetry Foundation and The National
Endowment for the Arts 1). Her personnel connection to her poetry is not only about her
heritage but also about her life and what she experienced, such as a teen pregnancy and
being divorced. She also involves her feminist and social concerns. Harjo makes a
relationship between human and nature (Wilson 1). Joy Harjo once quoted, “I was born
with eyes that can never close. . . “ (Harjo 1).
Biography
List of Works
Sample Poems
Inspired
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Original
Poems
Bibliography
Collected Works
Santa Fe
September Moon
Beautiful Valley
Mudhills, Beautiful Valley
Nazlini Overlook
– Summer
Nazlini Overlook
– Winter
Pond below Tuba City
Patterns in Mudhills
Spider Rock Overlook
Burnham Mudhils
Floor of Canyon de Chelly
- Stories are our wealth.
Floor of Canyon de Chelly
-If winter describes the frozen angles of this sandy wash
Foliage at the Entrance to Canyon de Chelly
Foliage on the Floor of Canyon de Chelly
Nazlini Mudhills
-I can hear the sizzle of newborn stars
Nazlini Mudhills
-In a misty dawn at the center of the world
Creation Story
My House is the Red Earth
A Postcolonial Tale
Grace
Eagle Poem
Had-It-Up-To-Here Round
Dance
Anchorage
Woman Hanging from the
Thirteenth Floor Window
New Orleans
Remember
This is My Heart
No Huli
Equinox
Fear
She Had Some Horses
Deer Dancer
Fire
Desire
Javelina
Reconciliation
Biography
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Bibliography
Eagle Poem By Joy Harjo
Analysis of Eagle
Poem
To pray you open your whole self
To sky, to earth, to sun, to moon
To one whole voice that is you.
And know there is more
That you can't see, can't hear
Can't know except in moments
Steadily growing, and in languages
That aren't always sound but other
Circles of motion.
Like eagle that Sunday morning
Over Salt River. Circles in blue sky
In wind, swept our hearts clean
With sacred wings.
We see you, see ourselves and know
That we must take the utmost care
And kindness in all things.
Breathe in, knowing we are made of
All this, and breathe, knowing
We are truly blessed because we
Were born, and die soon, within a
True circle of motion,
Like eagle rounding out the morning
Inside us.
We pray that it will be done
In beauty.
In beauty.
Biography
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Analysis of Eagle Poem
Joy Harjo uses the poetic element of metaphor in her poem
entitled the “Eagle Poem.” In the first verse it says “To pray you open
your whole self”, this verse gives the reader the idea that this poem is
formatted similar to a prayer. In this prayer format, Harjo talks about
the circle of life. The verses from eighteen and twenty-one are a clear
example of how she talks about the circle of life. “Breathe in,
knowing we are made of/ All this, and breathe, knowing/ We are truly
blessed because we/ Were born, and die soon, within a/ True circle of
motion,” The idea of the circle of life is realized when the poem states
“Circles of motion.” She incorporates a metaphor into this poem and
the theme of the circle of life. In the middle of the poem, Harjo talks
about an eagle she saw on a Sunday morning. She talks about how the
eagle flies in circles in the sky over Salt River. “In wind, swept our
hearts clean/ With sacred wings.” This verse expresses the beauty in
the eagle flying which is a metaphor for living and loving life. This
poem has a sense of calm, clarity, and magnificence. After reading this
poem, a reader has to reflect on life in such a way Harjo has intended.
Biography
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Sample Poems
This poem stood out to me specifically because it talks about a woman’s independence. In
the first stanza Harjo talks about what a woman need to survive. “A woman can’t survive/
by her own breathe alone . . . look at me/ I am not a separate woman.” As seen in the
example, Harjo goes from a second point of view to a first person point of view. This is one
reason why this poem caught my eye; another reason is how in the second stanza Harjo
talks about she has survived. This comes to show how strong she is as a poet and a woman.
Biography
List of Works
Fire By Joy Harjo
a woman can’t
survive
by her own
breathe alone
she must know
the voices of
mountains
she must
recognize
the foreverness
of blue sky
she must flow
with the elusive
bodies
of night wind
women
who will take
her into
her own self
look at me
i am not a separate
woman
i am a continuance
of blue sky
i am the throat
of the Sandia
mountains
a night wind
woman
who burns
with every breath
she takes
Sample Poems
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Sample Poems
I like this poem because Harjo uses great description in this poem. She uses a metaphor
when telling about the moon. She states that the moon is a woman, “The woman of the
moon looking at us. “ She also incorporates the setting into the description too. It makes
the reader feel like they are practically in the poem. Joy Harjo has the talent of making
people feel a certain way and she shows that in this poem.
September Moon By Joy Harjo
Last night she called and told me
about the moon over San Francisco Bay.
Here in Albuquerque it is mirrored
in a cool, dark Sandia sky.
The reflection is within all of us.
Orange, and almost the harvest
moon. Wind and the chill of the colder
months coming on. The children and I
watched it, crossing San Pedro and Central
coming up from the state fair.
Wind blowing my hair was caught
in my face. I was fearful of traffic,
trying to keep my steps and the moon was east,
out of any skin that was covering her. Naked .
Such beauty.
Look.
We are alive. The woman of the moon looking
at us, and we looking at her, acknowledging
each other.
Biography
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Inspired
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Original
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Inspired Poems
Remember By Joy Harjo
Poem Inspired By
Remember By Joy Harjo
Remember the sky that you were born under,
know each of the star's stories.
Remember the moon, know who she is. I met her
in a bar once in Iowa City.
Remember the sun's birth at dawn, that is the
strongest point of time. Remember sundown
and the giving away to night.
Remember your birth, how your mother struggled
to give you form and breath. You are evidence of
her life, and her mother's, and hers.
Remember your father. He is your life also.
Remember the earth whose skin you are:
red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth
brown earth, we are earth.
Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their
tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them,
listen to them. They are alive poems.
Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the
origin of this universe. I heard her singing Kiowa war
dance songs at the corner of Fourth and Central once.
Remember that you are all people and that all people are you.
Remember that you are this universe and that this universe is
you.
Remember that all is in motion, is growing, is you.
Remember that language comes from this.
Remember the dance that language is, that life is.
Remember.
Biography
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Biography
Remember By Melissa Harms
As you start your new chapter
In the book of life
You need to remember. . .
The value of a dollar
For if you don’t
The world will make you seem smaller
So spend reasonable
Be excited. You’re full grown
Independent
And now on your own
If you’re scared
Let out your tears
As your sister
I’ll take away those fears
Try new things
No matter where life takes you
Have your family to remember
As you drive away you may look back
And want to stay
But your new life begins today
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Inspired Poems
Foliage on the Canyon Floor
By Joy Harjo
It's true the landscape forms the mind. If stand here long enough
I'll learn how to sing. None of that country & western heartbreak
stuff, or operatic duels, but something cool as the blues, or close
to the sound of a Navajo woman singing early in the morning.
Poem Inspired By Foliage
on the Canyon Floor
Biography
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Original
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Bibliography
Inspired Poems
Sunrise in Fargo
By Melissa Harms
Step outside to a perfect day. The sun is hiding but it’s slowly
seeping out from behind the houses as I walk down the street.
Now at the corner where two streets meet; a bust of sunshine
comes at me, coming out like a child being caught in a game of
hiding-go-seek. I turn around for the reason that the sun was in
my eyes. On a single tree, there are birds singing early in the
morning.
Biography
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Original Poems
The Secret to Cheerleading
By Melissa Harms
Hit
Every motion of every stunt
Sharp
Flawless to the end
Trust
In yourself and others
Give
110 percent or go home
Falling
It’s not when its if
Smile
Not only with your mouth but with your eyes
Sisters
Closer than anyone can imagine
Practice
For those 2 minutes and 38 seconds of glory
Dedication
24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year
We are State Champions
We are National Champions
We are thee West Fargo High School Cheerleaders
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Original Poems
Nature’s Tree
By Melissa Harms
Branching out
The tree of love
Reaching
For something she can’t touch.
As she goes,
As she soars,
She spreads her gifts
Joy,
Peace,
Friendship,
Laughter and smiles,
All fill nature’s beauty.
At the bottom of her trunk,
The deepest of her roots
She spreads her burdens
Sorrow,
War,
Heartbreak,
Fights and hatred,
All fill nature’s pollution.
Biography
List of Works
Sample Poems
Inspired
Poems
Original
Poems
Bibliography
Bibliography
Biography: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/60
http://www.hanksville.org/storytellers/joy/
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/joy-harjo
http://poetryoutloud.org/poems/poet.html?id=2929
http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/H/HA021.html
http://www.fofweb.com/Lit/default.asp?ItemID=WE54
http://www.fofweb.com/Lit/default.asp?ItemID=WE54
Fire (Poem):
http://www.gaianvoices.com/members/gaianvoices/blog/VIEW/00000008/00000041/FireJoyHarjo.html#00000041
September Moon (Poem):
http://www.hanksville.org/voyage/places/Albuquerque/Albuquerque4.html
Eagle Poem (Poem):
http://www.panhala.net/Archive/Eagle_Poem.html
Remember (Poem):
http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/Harjo/
Foliage on the Canyon Floor de Chelly (Poem):
http://www.hanksville.org/voyage/secrets/foliage2.html
Biography
List of Works
Sample Poems
Inspired
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Original
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Bibliography
Fire picture:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.backgroundpictures.org/p/fire/fire_01.jpg&i
mgrefurl=http://www.backgroundpictures.org/p/fire/page-1.html&usg=__QWOY21n4AQYHBaVHssN2uj0mg4=&h=1200&w=1600&sz=700&hl=en&start=283&zoom=1&tbnid=NSXr
nFGcJEKqZM:&tbnh=148&tbnw=197&ei=VK2TcG8N8W3twetqtDCBQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dfire%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26biw
%3D1259%26bih%3D816%26site%3Dsearch%26tbm%3Disch&chk=sbg&um=1&itbs=1&iact=
rc&dur=203&page=13&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:283&tx=107&ty=70
Eagle picture:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hickerphoto.com/data/media/161/soaringeagle_6822.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.hickerphoto.com/soaring-eagle-6822pictures.htm&usg=__WXPHJkwCkhMvS_nnw4ZSVzkRsoI=&h=312&w=468&sz=51&hl=en&
start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=JfERQHzALcpkuM:&tbnh=157&tbnw=209&ei=h62TdbFAsjKgQevguWOBw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Deagle%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3
Dactive%26biw%3D1259%26bih%3D816%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=134
&vpy=103&dur=687&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=142&ty=95&page=1&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r
:0,s:0
Pictures for “The Secret to Cheerleading”, “Sunrise in Fargo”, and “Remember” are all
my, Melissa Harms, personal pictures.
Biography
List of Works
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Inspired
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Bibliography
September Moon Picture:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.nightskyinfo.com/sky_highlights/hunters_mo
on/full_moon.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.nightskyinfo.com/sky_highlights/hunters_moon/&usg=
__goceKiTo9ea1bS9HfqphjeMiDc=&h=600&w=600&sz=63&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=P2j
X74iPq4PKiM:&tbnh=161&tbnw=152&ei=1q2-Tf8AYfYgQen89GnBw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dmoon%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dac
tive%26biw%3D1259%26bih%3D816%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=62&page
=1&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0&tx=120&ty=68
Nature’s tree Picture:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://pastoralia.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/treeof-life-web.jpg&imgrefurl=http://pastoralia.org/theology/3-simple-questions-aboutjesus&usg=__uCgdf1yWlpePGrIrNCvQfCsHXE=&h=640&w=640&sz=95&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=ihmLm
eW8qQBMPM:&tbnh=166&tbnw=165&ei=A66TbzPKordgQeJrMyvBw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dtree%2Bof%2Blove%26um%3D1%26hl%3De
n%26safe%3Dactive%26biw%3D1259%26bih%3D816%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=
hc&vpx=412&vpy=252&dur=5241&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=87&ty=137&page=1&ndsp=25
&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:0
Biography
List of Works
Sample Poems
Inspired
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Original
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Bibliography
Bibliography
Harjo pictures:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.universeofpoetry.org/images/Joy_Harjo.jpg
&imgrefurl=http://www.universeofpoetry.org/mvskokecreek.shtml&usg=__Un6VA5mP1lmC6W7sPHQWrCx3tfI=&h=200&w=150&sz=6&hl=en&st
art=0&zoom=1&tbnid=DU0HNQQIpq2p3M:&tbnh=160&tbnw=120&ei=ga6Tbi3K4fegQf5nL2TBw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Djoy%2Bharjo%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26
safe%3Dactive%26biw%3D1259%26bih%3D816%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&
vpx=293&vpy=117&dur=62&hovh=160&hovw=120&tx=96&ty=55&page=1&ndsp=28&ved
=1t:429,r:1,s:0
http://www.nativewiki.org/Joy_Harjo
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.poemsoutloud.net/images/uploads/poets/Ha
rjo330.jpg&imgrefurl=http://poemsoutloud.net/audio/archive/harjo_reads_she_had_some_horses/
&usg=__GuaXB_sr_QUAt9YJGhl5NqlgIQ=&h=330&w=330&sz=14&hl=en&start=28&zoom=1&tbnid=
WzjTvJiLRLxVsM:&tbnh=147&tbnw=191&ei=3q6TZuPC8eztweO6ajXBQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Djoy%2Bharjo%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dacti
ve%26biw%3D1259%26bih%3D816%26site%3Dsearch%26tbm%3Disch0%2C490&um=1&it
bs=1&iact=hc&vpx=488&vpy=317&dur=1232&hovh=224&hovw=224&tx=108&ty=107&pag
e=2&ndsp=27&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:28&biw=1259&bih=816
Biography
List of Works
Sample Poems
Inspired
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Original
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