Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "What Music," Joy Harjo explores themes of cultural dislocation, memory, and the enduring connections to one's roots and heritage. Through evocative imagery and poignant reflections, Harjo captures the internal conflict of a woman caught between different worlds and the lingering call of her ancestral identity.

The poem opens with a nostalgic longing: "I would have loved you then, in the hot, moist tropics of your young womanhood." This line sets a tone of remembrance and desire, suggesting a past time and place of vitality and natural beauty. The "hot, moist tropics" symbolize a rich and fertile environment, both physically and culturally, where the woman’s young womanhood flourished.

Harjo then brings in the imagery of the stars: "Then the stars were out and fat every night. / They remembered your name and called to you / as you bent down in the doorways of the whiteman's houses." The stars serve as a symbol of continuity and connection to the universe and to one's origins. Their nightly presence and the personal nature of their call emphasize a deep, intrinsic relationship between the woman and the cosmos.

The poem contrasts this cosmic connection with the reality of cultural assimilation: "Maybe it was the Christians' language / that captured you, / or the bones that cracked in your heart each time you missed the aboriginal music that you were." This passage suggests a loss of cultural identity, where the woman's original language and music—symbols of her true self—are replaced by the language and culture of the colonizers. The "bones that cracked" evoke the deep, physical pain of this loss.

Harjo touches on the theme of motherhood and the passage of time: "But then, / you were the survivor of the births / of your two sons. Now they live in another language in Los Angeles with their wives." This shift in the poem reflects the woman's journey through motherhood and the subsequent separation from her children, who have also assimilated into a different culture and language. The mention of Los Angeles underscores the geographical and cultural distance from her roots.

The stars reappear as a symbol of enduring connection and longing: "And you, / the stars return every night to call you back. / They have followed your escape / from the southern hemisphere / into the north." Despite the physical move and cultural assimilation, the stars continue to call her back to her origins, representing an unbroken link to her heritage.

The poem ends on a note of conflict and vulnerability: "Their voices echo out from your blood and you drink the Christians' brandy and fall back into doorways in an odd moonlight. / You sweat in the winter in the north, / and you are afraid. / sweetheart." Here, Harjo portrays the woman's ongoing struggle with her identity. The "Christians' brandy" and "odd moonlight" suggest a sense of disorientation and escape, while the physical discomfort of "sweat in the winter" highlights the unnaturalness of her current state. The final term of endearment, "sweetheart," adds a personal and empathetic touch, underscoring the speaker's deep compassion for the woman's plight.

"What Music" by Joy Harjo is a poignant exploration of cultural dislocation and the enduring power of one's roots. Through rich and evocative imagery, Harjo captures the woman's internal conflict and the persistent call of her heritage, offering a reflection on the complex interplay between identity, memory, and belonging.

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