ipl-logo

Perhaps The World Ends Here By Joy Harjo Analysis

1187 Words5 Pages

Do people ever stop to think about the significance of their kitchen table? In "Perhaps the World Ends Here," Joy Harjo uses this everyday piece of furniture as a symbol of something much deeper, the power of human connection and tradition. The poem helps people to think about how important it is to have connections with other people and to keep traditions alive. In the poem Harjo shows that the kitchen table is a place for people to share memories and stories. Harjo also shows how the table is a place where different parts of our lives come together, and where the past, present, and future come together. By showing how the kitchen table can be much more meaningful than just a piece of furniture. Also, while the poem focuses on the kitchen …show more content…

The poem describes how people come together at the table to sing, pray, and show their appreciation by giving thanks. Harjo writes, "At this table we sing with joy, with sorrow. We pray for suffering and remorse. We give thanks." This emphasis on celebration showcases the idea that food and community are linked together, and that people often come together to share important moments of their lives. Whether it is a birthday, a wedding, or a funeral, the kitchen table is often where people gather to share our thoughts, emotions, and connect with one another. By highlighting the importance of celebration at the kitchen table, Harjo expresses that people need each other in order to find joy and meaning in their lives. The kitchen table, then, becomes a symbol of the human connection that assists people through both the joys and sorrows of life. Harjo uses the table as imagery, making the table seem as the center of the universe, and highlights how the act of eating, communicating, and celebrating at the kitchen table serves as a way for people to connect with each other. Harjo's emphasis on celebration at the kitchen table is also showcased as a place where tradition and memories are formed, and shows how the ritual of eating together is also a way of connecting to one …show more content…

She writes, "No matter what, we must eat to live." This means that the kitchen table is where people gather to eat and stay alive. The poem talks about how the food people get from the earth is prepared and put on the table for people to eat. This shows that the kitchen table is where people come together to share the basic things people need to stay alive. By talking about the kitchen table as a place of nourishment, Harjo shows how it's important to come together and share the things that keep people alive. Food is something people all need, and the kitchen table is a place where people can come together to eat and be with others. Through that, Harjo also showcases that no matter what different aspects of life people may be on, different paths of life they may be on, they will always go back to the table to eat and be in the presence of their closest people to them. Which further shows the idea and importance of nourishment. The reference to food is also important because it is another way in which cultures and traditions live on, through recipes that are used generation after generation. This also showcases not only community, but also how the kitchen table helps the carrying on of cultural

Open Document