Linda Speckhals

The Place the Poem Became a Ceremony Linda Speckhals

Joy Harjo's poetry is influenced by her culture, particularly the oral tradition. This work analyzes her poetry in the context of Native American beliefs. Poetry from four of her collections are examined in terms of the Native American concepts of time, memory, language, story, the trickster, ceremony, and the oral tradition itself. In order to incorporate these elements, they must be transformed within Harjo's poetry. Her poetry not only encourages reinvention; it is a reinvention.