When the Beasts Spoke: The Ecopoetics of Joy Harjo

Abstract

This article analyzes the ecopoetic works of Joy Harjo, a prominent Native American writer, focusing on her critique of environmental destruction. Harjo's poetry accuses colonialism and capitalism of the degradation of nature, highlighting themes such as land expropriation, deforestation, and urbanization of sacred sites. The article argues that Harjo employs unique strategies in her protest, including giving voice to animals and using horses as symbols of anti-colonial resistance. This study examines Harjo's poetic techniques, such as personification and structural parallelism, which reflect Native American cultural values and spiritual beliefs. The paper explores how Harjo's work establishes connections with English Romanticism and American Transcendentalism, making her poetry more accessible to a broader audience. The author contends that Harjo's ecopoetics not only critiques environmental destruction but also advocates for a deeper spiritual relationship with nature.

(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)