Joy Harjo Poems – Five of the Best Poems by the Former US Poet Laureate

May 9 marks the birthday of poet Joy Harjo, the Poet Laureate of the United States …

Earlier this week, Harjo was appointed to a second term as Poet Laureate. We honor the occasion with five of our favorite Joy Harjo poems …

Joy Harjo (born on May 9, 1951, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Mvskoke) is a poet, musician, playwright, and author. Harjo is a member of the Mvskoke Nation and belongs to Oce Vpofv (Hickory Ground.) She is also the first Native American United States Poet Laureate. She is an important figure in the second wave of the literary Native American Renaissance of the late twentieth century. She studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts, completed her undergraduate degree at University of New Mexico in 1976, and earned an M.F.A. at the University of Iowa in its Creative Writing Program. (via Wikipedia)

Praise the Rain
Joy Harjo

SNIPPET:

Praise the rain; the seagull dive
The curl of plant, the raven talk—
Praise the hurt, the house slack
The stand of trees, the dignity—
…

[ READ THE FULL POEM ]

 

When was Joy Harjo inaugurated as the U.S. Poet Laureate?

Joy Harjo began her term as the U.S. Poet Laureate in October 2019.

What is the most famous poem by Joy Harjo ?

She Had Some Horses is one of most frequently anthologized Joy Harjo poems . (via Poetry Foundation)

What was the first collection of poems published by Joy Harjo ?

Joy Harjo's first volume of poetry was published in 1975, a nine-poem chapbook titled The Last Song. These early compositions, set in Oklahoma and New Mexico, reveal Harjo's remarkable power and insight into the fragmented history of indigenous peoples. (via Poetry Foundation)

 

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*** What are your favorite Joy Harjo poems ?

 

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