32 pages • 1-hour read
An American Sunrise
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Further Reading & Resources
Related Poems
“We Real Cool“ by Gwendolyn Brooks (1960)
We Real Cool” is arguably Brooks’s most recognized work as a Black writer documenting her times. The poem, which describes a group of young men Brooks observed at a pool hall in her hometown, Chicago, immortalizes the busy lifestyle of her neighborhood with quick rhymes, strong musicality, and sobering truths. It is tied directly to Harjo’s poem since it appears in “An American Sunrise” as a form of inspiration, perhaps alluding to the ongoing conversation and allyship between writers in marginalized communities.
“The Golden Shovel“ by Terence Hayes (2010)
In addition to Harjo, many poets have used “We Real Cool” as inspiration for their own works. Some of these poems take the form of what poet Terence Hayes—the form’s creator—calls a Golden Shovel. Hayes, in fact, coined the new poetic form in honor of Brooks. Like “An American Sunrise,” “The Golden Shovel” both upends tradition and pays homage to those who also search for community.
“When the World as We Knew It Ended“ by Joy Harjo (2002)
“When the World as We Knew it Ended” is part of Harjo’s collection called How We Became Human: New and Selected Poems: 1975-2001. The poem addresses the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Twin Towers. Themes include survival, resilience, womanhood, and identity, some of which also appear in “An American Sunrise.”
Further Literary Resources
Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko (1977)
A contemporary of Harjo’s, Marmon Silko is a Native American writer who was instrumental in the very first wave of what some writers and critics call the Native American Renaissance (others argue that the term “renaissance” suggests that something died and needed rebirth, yet Native American culture has always been alive). Her debut novel, Ceremony, explores the traditions and beliefs of Navajo and Pueblo peoples, both referenced in Harjo’s poem.
"How to Tame a Wild Tongue" by Gloria Anzaldúa (1987)
A famed member of the Chicanx Literary Movement, Gloria Anzaldúa was a prolific queer feminist writer from the American Southwest. This essay highlights the bold and joyous love of her community—specifically of being a Chicanx woman—and her resistance against patriarchy and colonial beliefs. Her work in many ways parallels the vibrant and rebellious energy of Harjo’s, and together, their work opens dialogue for what it means to be an Indigenous woman living in America. This essay comes from Anzaldúa’s famous book Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, which is available from its publisher, Aunt Lute Books. A SuperSummary study guide for the book is available here.
"Introduction: The Golden Shovel" by Don Share (2017)
This article from The Poetry Foundation introduces readers to what was—at the time—a relatively new poetic form. Share delves into Hayes’s reasons for creating the form, how the form works with existing poetry, and what the form seeks to create/impart by “borrowing” from preexisting work. He ends the article by affirming that the Golden Shovel is a “fresh and vital way” to explore voices and legacies that not only offer a different worldview but that, by their very existence, are worthy of being heard.
An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo (2019)
Harjo’s poetry collection explores history and legacy in an award-winning collection of poems that includes “An American Sunrise.” Harjo navigates her homeland, specifically the lands of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, a nation forcefully removed from its ancestral lands in the 1800s, to explore endings, beginnings, family, connection, and history.
Listen to Poem
Joy Harjo Reads “An American Sunrise”
Joy Harjo reads “An American Sunrise” for the May 2, 2020 Poem of the Day podcast on Poetry Foundation’s website.
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