Her poems divulge a “very personal vision of reality, with images from her own culture illuminating the wider American landscape” (Scarry 1). For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. The lyrics speak of “horses who cried in their beer,” a haunting image of addiction, as well as “horses who were much too shy, and kept quiet in stalls of their own making” (Harjo 6). Best known as a poet, Harjo’s thematic use of animals appears regularly in her poetic works, particularly the horse. In her poem titled "She Had Some Horses", she uses many different forms of symbolism. Joy could also identify with a horse due, to the fact that they are very important in the Native-American community. loosely based on historical events involvingAlfonso, the Duke of Ferrara, who lived in the 16th century. This preview shows page 1 - 2 out of 3 pages. "Joy Harjo’s “She Had Some Horses”: Analysis and Meaning Essay." Emily Dickinson invests the mechanical product of technology with aesthetic effects. There she had sung him to sleep. The lines in What I Should Have Said that best illustrate this idea include “We are horses knocked out with tranquillizers, sucked into a deep, deep sleeping for the comfort and anaesthesia death. Web. In this poem, J.Harjo’s perspective on the fundamental dualism of human nature shines as she personifies a slew of horses engaged in decidedly urban and social pursuits. She had some horses. However in the poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson, she adopted a rare description of death and personified it as a gentleman caller who took a leisurely journey with her to the grave. We utilize security vendors that protect and “She had horses with eyes of trains. In my understanding the poem “She Had Some Horses” is a reflection of the author Joy, Harjo’s life. In the poem that she titles “She Had Some Horses”, she uses the word horse in an extremely symbolic way. Harjo’s poems traverse rich interior landscapes that echo the visible world while simultaneously showing its flaws and ugliness. She had some horses. I think she is the speaker of the poem, just describing what she sees and feels at that moment in her life. The poetry here is of mythic and timeless character, native and lyrical in its expression, profound in its reflection of a worldview that is at once precise and comprehensive. The analysis of Harjo’s poem called What I Should Have Said demonstrates that the horse there is the creature that exists between two worlds. Harjo’s brilliant use of metaphor explodes in such passages as “She had horses who got down on their knees for any saviour. The image of the horse awakes in her the belief that the human life is not as important as one would think. “Into the forest’s thick, where the trees meet the dark, though I have known misgivings of light as a hot hand that flickers against my neck.” (Line 20) Chang said she had no inspiration for it, instead, she just imagine all of it. The poem “She Had Some Horses”. In the same poem the reader witnesses “horses who spit at male queens who made them afraid of themselves” and “horses who called themselves, “spirit” and kept their voices secret and to themselves” (Harjo 6). The men and women of the bar begin as “wrinkled sacks of thin, mewing spirit,” but regain their natural state – like horses – via alcohol, wherein they transform into “powerful horses” (Velie 287). Take the forest scene in the poem as an example. Joy Harjo connects her Native American experiences to the challenges that people in the current world seem to face. We witness this usage of the horse most clearly in Harjo’s poem Explosion from her 1983 collection She Had Some Horses. The horse that keeps being referred to throughout the text Is in fact Joy. Lines like these show the reader Harjo’s dualistic themes of freedom and captivity; both imposed and self-generated. The classic example of this “psychic dualism” occurs in the title poems of Harjo’s She Had Some Horses (Scarry 1). According to the analysis above, one can say that the message that the poem tries to convey is about the power of love. This poem has four sections; they are each arranged to complement one another. The most notable theme in the poem is the allegiance that people should have to their culture. In his analysis of “She Had Some Horses”, critic Dan Bellm characterized the poem as “a long litany of the `horses’ inside a woman who is trying to become whole” (Scarry 1). Harjo’s work does not shy away from the controversial settings of addiction, pain, loss and its impact on Native American culture. Therefore, she decided to write it all down into a poem. Harjo’s horses also appear regularly in lyrical studies of addiction, such as in the poem Night Out. In his analysis of “She Had Some Horses”, critic Dan Bellm characterized the poem as “a long litany of the `horses’ inside a woman who is trying to become whole” (Scarry 1). Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Let’s turn to the analysis of another poem by Joy Harjo. Joy might be explaining multiple situation from different people with. She had horses who thought their high price had saved them. In summary, Joy Harjo employs poetic images of the horse and effectively uses the theme of the horse as a live conduit between the urban world and the natural world. Harjo paints a dark portrait of addiction in Night Out, as a means to regain lost power, albeit ephemerally – “Your voice screamed out from somewhere in the darkness, another shot, anything to celebrate this deadly thing called living” (Velie 287). This essay is an analysis of “She Had Some Horses” by Joy Harjo. Like many other famous poems, this one deals (on one level) about writing poetry. The title poem 'She Had Some Horses' reinvents and updates the 'Navajo War God's Horse Chant' placing it in an urban and contemporary setting but drawing on the boast tradition with its parallel structures and syntax. Your privacy is extremely important to us. Print. Joy is the author of the poem, “She Had Some Horses”, this poem consist of, eight stanzas. The air is still in this poem, and there is a stillness, which leads one to believe that the speaker in the poem died alone--with no one to make those dying breaths more bearable. She had horses who waited for resurrection. She is also an accomplished musician, saxophone player, dancer, painter,screenwriter and feminist (Scarry 1). "Joy Harjo’s “She Had Some Horses”: Analysis and Meaning Essay." Ed. Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. LitCharts Teacher Editions. A pony like a feather bed On four short sticks, took place aside. She had horses who tried to save her, who climbed in her bed at night and prayed as they raped her” (Harjo 6). I Hear An Army Analysis Stanza One. The first idea is a universal one, the second describes a historical idea through the use of Homer’s The Iliad and the final is personal to Sappho’s life. Essay 5: Explore the ways in which the poet vividly conveys the relationship between husband and wife in “Marrysong” by Dennis Scott. IvyPanda.   Privacy She had horses with full, brown thighs.” say’s Harjo, these personifications are very dark and. It was an age of rapid growth of technology. The poem is a record of the poet's reaction of the coming of the train. Although Yeats personally despised MacBride because "He had done most bitter wrong / To some who are near my heart"(33-34), Yeats maintains that "He, too, has been changed in his turn"(38). It contains thousands of paper examples on a wide variety of topics, all donated by helpful students. In the poem ‘’The War Horse’’ the narrator looks out her window and sees a horse on the fields in the middle of the night. / She had some horses she hated. What type of assignment 📝 do you need? My favour at her breast, 26 The dropping of the daylight in the West, 27 The bough of cherries some officious fool 28 Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule Scholars have argued the possible implied meanings of the poem for long as her obvious desire of death is mysterious (Priddy 41). Copyright © 2021 - IvyPanda is a trading name of Edustream You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must. IvyPanda. I hear an army charging upon the land, And the thunder of horses plunging, foam about their knees: Arrogant, in black armour, behind them stand, --N. The poem concludes: “She had some horses she loved. It's so much deeper than that. Herein the reader feels the urban experience of hate, racism and homophobia, juxtaposed with the spiritual element, the propensity of humans to simultaneously aspire to higher realms while mired in hatred, conformity and separation. The poem I like to see it lap the Miles was written in 1862 and was published for the first time in 1891. IvyPanda. Harjo, Joy. Course Hero, Inc. This research paper on Joy Harjo’s “She Had Some Horses” was written and submitted by your fellow student. She mainly appears as a sea nymph, a goddess of water, or one of the 50 Nereids, daughters of the ancient sea god Nereus.. In it, she … Retrieved from https://ivypanda.com/essays/native-american-poet-joy-harjo-the-major-themes-in-her-poetry/. You are powerful horses by then, not the wrinkled sacks of thin, mewing spirit that lay about the bar early in the day, waiting for minds and bellies” (Velie 287). "Rare day for scent," the jockey said. Liberty High School, Henderson • ENGLISH 101, Ernest W. Seaholm High School • SCIENCE Environmen, Native American Web Finds by Gracie Mcalees Callanan and Samantha Rivers, Final draft of Native America edited.docx, Native American Immigration Negative - SDI 2018 HLR.docx, Copyright © 2021. As an important animal in Native American culture, the horse has been often used as a symbol. The poem, written in … In Night Out, we see Harjo’s dualism once again, this time through the freeing effect of intoxication. Try our expert-verified textbook solutions with step-by-step explanations. She had horses who screamed out of fear of the silence, who carried knives to protect themselves from ghosts. Reasons, why Harjo might have picked a horse to identify with is because this animal demonstrates, bravery, majestic and is vulnerable and used by humans. Ania Walwicz is an Australian poet and play-wright, born in Swidnica, Poland, she emigrated to Australia in 1963 and was educated at Melbourne's Victorian College of Arts and the University. “She had horses with eyes of trains. Harjo’s most well-received book of poetry to date, She Had Some Horses, was published in 1983 by Thunder’s Mouth Press. Writing poetry is a bridge that allows people to express their feelings and make others live every single word they read. There is much of the oral tradition here, much that is worthy of our closest attention and deepest respect. However, it could also be construed as: “My horse having been guided so well (by another)”. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1991. Find answers and explanations to over 1.2 million textbook exercises. The quote from the poem is as disturbing as it is beautiful, which speaks to Harjo’s overall point – no human being is perfect, and we are all a work in progress. Let's see if we can help you! "I willed my keepsakes, signed away What portion of me I Could make assignable" This person feels like she is pretty much worthless in the world; whether it is due to being alone, or just plain old age. In the poem, there is a description of a group of charioteers, riding out of the sea and approaching the lyrical voice that culminates with the thought of yearned affection. Harjo, I think, is relating this poem to herself and an experience she had on an airplane. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Joy Harjo is an internationally known poet, writer, performer, and saxophone player of the Mvskoke/Creek Nation. The thematic use of horse imagery in the poem What I Should Have Said also illustrates Harjo’s theme of escape – escape back to the halcyon days of Native American freedom, as well as escape to the internal “safe” fantasies of the mind designed to make urban life bearable. Joy is comparing herself to all the people in her community around her. “The horses are supposed to be something else,” says Emanuel, a fifth-grader. Some of these people are depicted as impolite and rude, most probably describing the peasants. (2020, May 6). Tennyson's son Hallam quoted his father as saying it's about: the new-born love for something, for some one in the wide world for which she had been so long excluded, takes her … New York: Thunder’s Mouth Press, 1983. "Joy Harjo’s “She Had Some Horses”: Analysis and Meaning Essay." Joy Harjo’s poems speak of women’s despair, of their imprisonment and ruin at the hands of men and society, but also of their awakenings, power, and love. At half-past ten some lads on foot Came to be beaters to a shoot However, she did put her personal experience and emotion to it. Thetis (/ ˈ θ iː t ɪ s /; Greek: Θέτις), is a figure from Greek mythology with varying mythological roles. Need a custom Research Paper sample written from scratch by The database is updated daily, so anyone can easily find a relevant essay example. The poem “She Had Some Horses” elaborates on horses by giving them human traits. May 6, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/native-american-poet-joy-harjo-the-major-themes-in-her-poetry/. Harjo’s early influences include time spent at an all Indian boarding school in 1967, during which the environment devoted to Native American creativity directly inspired her poetic leanings. These horses have, had difficult situations. However, her poems are of such high quality that they transcend social justice poetry and become instead a means to communicate the universal human condition. For Harjo, the horse represents Harjo’s dualistic view of the human condition, at once urban and simultaneously of nature. She Had Some Horses is a literary event of importance. Joy Harjo’s “She Had Some Horses”: Analysis and Meaning Essay, In the Eye of a Boy: Back into the Childhood, The Dualistic Approach to the Labour Market in Developing Countries and Critique, Concept of the Cartesian Dualism in Philosophy, “My Old Man” a Poem by Charles Bukowski, The Greek Tragedy and the Frank Epos: Finding the Points of Contact, The Life of a Human Being in C. S Lewis “The Great Divorce” and “Man’s Search for Meaning” a Book by Victor Frankl. In Explosion, the horse comes to symbolize the act of creation itself. Word Count: 561 “She Had Some Horses,” Harjo’s most frequently anthologized work, is the title poem from the 1983 collection of the same name. The little girl who rode astride Watched everything with eyes that glowed With glory in the horse she rode. Writing a poem is not about bringing some words together to create some charming sentences. However, Harjo’s poem remains an honest appraisal of the appeal of alcohol and other addictive substances to those of living in the urban environment, simply because these inebriants offer a way back to self-esteem and freedom. She had horses who were clay and would break. The references to “geography”, “landscapes”, “country” and “roads” draw parallels between his wife’s mind and a physical,… Velie, Alan R. American Indian literature: An Anthology. She shares three different situations to discuss this idea. That’s the principal meaning of “She Had Some Horses”. An extended metaphor runs through the entire text, which compares the wife’s personality to a “territory”. She is trying to express to us the oppression and that she feels alienated. “I have seen you in the palms of my hands, late nights in the bar, just before the lights are about to be turned on. She had horses who waited for destruction. May 6, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/native-american-poet-joy-harjo-the-major-themes-in-her-poetry/. In the first stanza she describes the horses through nature and as things that cannot be broken. She had horses with full, brown thighs.” say’s Harjo, these personifications are very dark and might be a interpretation of Joy Harjo's life. She had horses who whispered in the dark, who were afraid to speak. The Amherst and Belcher town Railway had already been established. She had horses who were splintered red cliff.   Terms. Of Cherokee descent, Harjo graduated from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop at the University of Iowa and is a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma (Scarry 1). Jim Kamp. An example, if a simple one, of a poem meaning more the second time one reads it! Poetry is to educate people, to lead them away from hate to love, from violence to mercy and pity. Unfortunately, your browser is too old to work on this site. Another significant style that is common to both poems is symbolism. Technologies LLC, a company registered in Wyoming, USA. 25 Sir, ’twas all one! might be a interpretation of Joy Harjo's life. This is IvyPanda's free database of academic paper samples. She had horses who were maps drawn of blood. Sappho says that although some people find military or horses to be the most beautiful, she believes it is the things that one loves. There are various kinds of people that the lady of Shalott can make out in her mirror of “shadows. Detroit: St. James Press, 1994. IvyPanda. First published in 1983 and now considered a classic, She Had Some Horses is a powerful exploration of womanhood’s most intimate moments. She had horses who were the blue air of sky. IvyPanda, 6 May 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/native-american-poet-joy-harjo-the-major-themes-in-her-poetry/. IvyPanda. You can use them for inspiration, an insight into a particular topic, a handy source of reference, or even just as a template of a certain type of paper. Joy Harjo’s poetry also employs the horse as a metaphor for the creative process. (2020) 'Joy Harjo’s “She Had Some Horses”: Analysis and Meaning Essay'. May 6, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/native-american-poet-joy-harjo-the-major-themes-in-her-poetry/. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. “The horses are magical,” says Silvia, a fourth-grader. She Had Some Horses - Haro-Leyva 1 Daniela Haro-Leyva Maureen Burns WRT 102 12 February 2018 She Had Some Horses Joy Harjo Is a Native-American women, 1 out of 1 people found this document helpful, Joy Harjo Is a Native-American women and a great poet. In this poem, Harjo uses sounds and rhythm to energize her poetry. Pale kings, princes, and warriors told him that he had been enslaved by a beautiful but cruel lady. She had horses who licked razor blades. The metaphor of an animal as the natural state that people easily regain is probably Harjo’s favourite poetic convention. She Had Some Horses. The knight answers that he met a beautiful lady, "a faery's child" who had looked at him as if she loved him. However, the poem transcends the physical manifestation of a woman and encompasses a broader view of humanity. ensure the integrity of our platform while keeping your private information safe. Scarry, John. A creative powerhouse, Harjo has published 12 books of poetry and two children’s books (Velie 287). She had 22 A heart—how shall I say?— too soon made glad, 23 Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er 24 She looked on, and her looks went everywhere. 1. In the second stanza she gives these horses human like features, such as the breasts and thighs. From this mirror she can get a glimpse of the whirlpools in the river and some people. Instant downloads of all 1443 LitChart PDFs (including The Rocking-Horse Winner). 3rd ed. Harjo also cites a Galway Kinnell poetry reading, the first poetry reading she ever attended, as an event that made literature appear viable and correct as a vocation when she was a fledgeling poet (Scarry 1). How many pages (words) do you need? When he set her on his horse, she led him to her cave. Sylvia Plath: Poems “Ariel” Summary and Analysis | GradeSaver It also demonstrates what common themes are used by the poet in her other lyrics. / These were the same horse.” If you are the copyright owner of this paper and no longer wish to have your work published on IvyPanda. In his sleep he had nightmarish dreams. One of Harjo’s most frequently anthologized poems, “She Had Some Horses,” describes the “horses” within a woman who struggles to reconcile contradictory personal feelings and experiences to achieve a sense of oneness. Joy Harjo’s poetic prowess has ranked her firmly in the upper echelon of Native American writers. 6 May. “She had horses with eyes of trains. 2020. We will write a custom Research Paper on Joy Harjo’s “She Had Some Horses”: Analysis and Meaning Essay specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page. We are caught between clouds and wet earth, and there is no motion either way” (Velie 288). All in all, the poem is about the author’s gloomy feeling which depict by the relationship between the moon, the rider and the horse, when he realized that Lucy had died on his way to her house. To transmit this idea, she compares a rotting human corpse with a … Joy Harjo’s “She Had Some Horses” consists of eight stanzas punctuated by a common refrain with a coda at the end of the work. Harjo’s extensive use of the horse to “deal fluidly with the themes of past and present—in historic and even prehistoric terms” as well as the personification of urban strife through the dualistic nature of the horse, deepens her work and speaks to a broader audience (Scarry 1). She has been a writer-in-residence at Australian universities and is well-known for performances of her work. elaborates on horses by giving them human traits. “But maybe the explosion was horses, bursting out of the crazy earth near Okemah. And had a sip of gin and stout To help the jockey's sweatings out. However, the poem transcends the physical manifestation of a woman and encompasses a broader view of humanity. We only read the first half of part one of the poem, and I ask if anybody has any thoughts about it. Print. professional specifically for you? And, of course, after reading the whole poem, that second sense becomes a very meaningful one – it really was Stella all the time. They were a violent birth, flew from the ground into trees, to wait for evening nightmares to come after them: then into the dank, wet fields of Oklahoma, then their birth cords tied into the molten heart (Harjo 26). She had horses who threw rocks at glass houses. "Joy Harjo’s “She Had Some Horses”: Analysis and Meaning Essay." “Joy Harjo: Overview.” Reference Guide to American Literature. Harjo is currently on faculty in the English Department at the University of Arizona (Velie 287). Joy Harjo’s “She Had Some Horses”: Analysis and Meaning Essay. This paper details Harjo’s use of animal imagery and its thematic resonance in her most powerful poems. “Yes, perfect!” I say, this is probably the most in-depth analysis the class has made about any poem … She had horses who were fur and teeth. She had horses who were skins of ocean water.