The kitchen table is the poem’s central symbol and extended <a data-internal-link data-link-type="Literary Device" href="https://www.supersummary.com/metaphor/">metaphor</a>. In poetry, <a data-internal-link data-link-type="Literary Device" href="https://www.supersummary.com/symbolism/">symbolism</a> is a literary device in which an event, action, or object (such as a table) represents an idea (like ceremony and ritual). The table is a convenient symbol because, even on a literal level, it’s a place where people gather to eat, build community, and share important life moments. While the table begins in Lines 1-3 as a place to simply eat and prepare food, it quickly expands into a symbol beyond its literal function. The table’s symbolism extends into the ceremony of teaching the next generation (“It is here that children are given instructions on what it means to be human” [Line 4]). Throughout the poem, the table repeatedly becomes a place of ceremony and ritual, representing iconic life moments. More than a place to eat and drink, the table becomes a place of protection (“a house in the rain, an umbrella in the sun” [Line 7]) and even a place of battle and resolution (“Wars have begun and ended at this table” [Line 8]). Ultimately, the table grows and ages with the characters in the poem. By the latter half of “Perhaps the World Ends Here,” the table represents the cycles of life (“We make men at it, we make women” [Line 4]).

Kitchen Table

World

Sweet Bite

Life & Time

Childhood & Youth

Relationships

Family

Emotions & Behavior

Grief

Race & Ethnicity

Indigenous People's Literature

Memory

Poetry

Poetry: Family & Home

Short Poems

The Best of "Best Book" Lists

Book Events

Valentine's Day Reads: The Theme of Love

Society

Joy Harjo

Adult

Poem

Fiction

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Get ready to explore Perhaps the World Ends Here and its meaning. Our full analysis and study guide provides an even deeper dive with character analysis and quotes explained to help you discover the complexity and beauty of this book.

Perhaps the World Ends Here Summary and Study Guide

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Perhaps the World Ends Here Background

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Perhaps the World Ends Here Poem Analysis

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Themes

Perhaps the World Ends Here Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Perhaps the World Ends Here Symbols & Motifs

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Perhaps the World Ends Here Literary Devices

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Perhaps the World Ends Here

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