An American Sunrise: Poems - PDF
An American Sunrise: Poems - PDF
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A stunning new volume from the first Native American Poet Laureate of the United States, informed by her tribal history and connection to the land.
In the early 1800s, the Mvskoke people were forcibly removed from their original lands east of the Mississippi to Indian Territory, which is now part of Oklahoma. Two hundred years later, Joy Harjo returns to her family’s lands and opens a dialogue with history. In An American Sunrise, Harjo finds blessings in the abundance of her homeland and confronts the site where her people, and other indigenous families, essentially disappeared. From her memory of her mother’s death, to her beginnings in the native rights movement, to the fresh road with her beloved, Harjo’s personal life intertwines with tribal histories to create a space for renewed beginnings. Her poems sing of beauty and survival, illuminating a spirituality that connects her to her ancestors and thrums with the quiet anger of living in the ruins of injustice. A descendent of storytellers and “one of our finest―and most complicated―poets” (Los Angeles Review of Books), Joy Harjo continues her legacy with this latest powerful collection.
This is a PDF version, not a hardcover book!
History is not just the past—it echoes in the present
History never sleeps. It is not merely a collection of past events but a living force that shapes identities, landscapes, and the way people navigate the present. An American Sunrise reminds us that history does not remain locked in books; it lingers in memories, in wounds both visible and invisible, in the very land beneath our feet. This collection of poetry is a testament to how history reverberates through time, influencing not only those who lived it but also those who inherit its weight and wisdom.
Language has the power to resurrect what was thought lost
Language is more than a tool for expression—it is an act of revival. A culture, an identity, or a memory that seemed buried can be resurrected through the power of words. In An American Sunrise, poetry is not just a means of storytelling but an act of reclaiming. Through rhythm, imagery, and lyricism, words become a force of resistance against erasure, breathing new life into voices that have been silenced for too long.
Nature is both a witness and a participant in human resilience
Some stories are not recorded in books or spoken aloud, yet they are written in the rivers, in the wind, in the soil. Nature is not just a passive setting in this poetry collection—it is an active witness to loss, survival, and renewal. In An American Sunrise, nature becomes a bridge between past and present, between memory and hope. It holds the echoes of past struggles while offering a source of healing and continuity for those who seek to reconnect with their roots.
Pain is not an ending—it is a transformation
No pain is permanent. Loss, no matter how profound, can be reshaped into something stronger, more illuminating. An American Sunrise does not dwell in sorrow but moves toward transformation. It is not about forgetting but about channeling past wounds into strength, about turning loss into a foundation for renewal. This poetry collection urges us to find resilience not in erasing the past but in learning from it, honoring it, and building a future informed by its lessons.