“Remember” by Joy Harjo: A Critical Study

Introduction: “Remember” by Joy Harjo

“Remember” by Joy Harjo first appeared in her 1983 poetry collection She Had Some Horses, a groundbreaking work that blends Native American spirituality with personal and collective memory. Through anaphora and lyrical invocation, Harjo weaves a complex yet active meditation on interconnectedness, urging readers to honor the deep ties between themselves, their ancestors, the natural world, and the cosmos. She begins by anchoring memory in celestial imagery—“the sky that you were born under,” “the moon,” “the sun’s birth”—which transitions into an embodied connection with human lineage, as she recalls how “your mother struggled to give you form and breath.” Moving seamlessly from the familial to the universal, Harjo expands the reader’s awareness to include “plants, trees, animal life” as living beings with “tribes, families, histories,” reinforcing that humans are not apart from but a part of the earth, which is described as “red earth, black earth…we are earth.” The poem culminates in the philosophical assertion that “you are this universe and this universe is you,” a line that dissolves the boundaries between self and everything else. With each “remember,” Harjo crafts a rhythmic imperative, not just to recall, but to re-embody and reclaim the sacred connections that define existence.

Text: “Remember” by Joy Harjo

Remember the sky that you were born under,
know each of the star’s stories.
Remember the moon, know who she is.
Remember the sun’s birth at dawn, that is the
strongest point of time. Remember sundown
and the giving away to night.
Remember your birth, how your mother struggled
to give you form and breath. You are evidence of
her life, and her mother’s, and hers.
Remember your father. He is your life, also.
Remember the earth whose skin you are:
red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth
brown earth, we are earth.
Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their
tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them,
listen to them. They are alive poems.
Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the
origin of this universe.
Remember you are all people and all people
are you.
Remember you are this universe and this
universe is you.
Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you.
Remember language comes from this.
Remember the dance language is, that life is.
Remember.

Annotations and Literary Devices “Remember” by Joy Harjo

Line(s)	Simple Explanation	Literary Device(s)	Explanation of Literary Device(s)
1. “Remember the sky that you were born under,”	Think about the sky you were born under, connecting you to the vast world.	Repetition (Anaphora), Imagery	“Remember” repeats to emphasize mindfulness; vivid sky image creates a sense of place.
2. “know each of the star’s stories.”	Learn the unique tales or meanings of every star.	Personification	Stars are given human-like qualities, as if they have stories to tell.
3. “Remember the moon, know who she is.”	Reflect on the moon and understand its identity, like a person with a spirit.	Repetition (Anaphora), Personification	“Remember” reinforces the call to reflect; the moon is described as a female figure.
4-5. “Remember the sun’s birth at dawn, that is the strongest point of time.”	Recall the sunrise, a powerful moment of renewal.	Repetition (Anaphora), Metaphor	“Remember” repeats for emphasis; sunrise is compared to a “birth” for renewal.
5-6. “Remember sundown and the giving away to night.”	Think about sunset, when the day gently transitions to night.	Repetition (Anaphora), Metaphor	“Remember” continues the pattern; “giving away” compares sunset to a gentle handover.
7-8. “Remember your birth, how your mother struggled to give you form and breath.”	Reflect on your birth and your mother’s effort to bring you life.	Repetition (Anaphora), Imagery	“Remember” emphasizes reflection; vivid description of birth creates a personal image.
8-9. “You are evidence of her life, and her mother’s, and hers.”	You are proof of your mother’s life and the generations of women before her.	Allusion	Refers indirectly to the chain of ancestry, connecting you to past generations.
10. “Remember your father. He is your life, also.”	Think about your father, who also gave you life.	Repetition (Anaphora), Metaphor	“Remember” repeats; father is called “your life,” showing his essential role.
11. “Remember the earth whose skin you are:”	Recall that you are deeply connected to the earth, like its skin.	Repetition (Anaphora), Metaphor	“Remember” continues; compares humans to earth’s skin to show connection.
12-13. “red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth, brown earth, we are earth.”	The earth has many colors, and all humans are part of it.	Repetition (Parallelism)	Lists earth colors in a similar structure to emphasize diversity and unity.
14-15. “Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their tribes, their families, their histories, too.”	Think about plants, trees, and animals, which have their own communities and stories.	Repetition (Anaphora), Personification	“Remember” reinforces the theme; nature is given human-like qualities (tribes, histories).
15-16. “Talk to them, listen to them. They are alive poems.”	Communicate with nature; it’s like living poetry, full of meaning.	Imperative, Metaphor	Commands to engage with nature create urgency; nature is compared to “alive poems.”
17. “Remember the wind. Remember her voice.”	Think about the wind and its sound, as if it’s a person with a voice.	Repetition (Anaphora), Personification	“Remember” repeats; wind is given a female voice, making it seem alive.
18. “She knows the origin of this universe.”	The wind holds ancient wisdom about the universe’s beginnings.	Hyperbole	Exaggerates the wind’s knowledge to suggest profound, cosmic wisdom.
19-20. “Remember you are all people and all people are you.”	You are connected to all humans, part of one family.	Repetition (Anaphora), Paradox	“Remember” continues; suggests unity by stating you are both all people and they are you.
21-22. “Remember you are this universe and this universe is you.”	You are part of the universe, and it is part of you.	Repetition (Anaphora), Paradox	“Remember” reinforces; a contradictory statement shows deep unity with the universe.
23. “Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you.”	Everything is moving, growing, and connected to you.	Repetition (Anaphora), Metaphor	“Remember” repeats; compares everything’s growth and motion to you.
24. “Remember language comes from this.”	Words come from your connection to nature and the universe.	Repetition (Anaphora), Allusion	“Remember” continues; suggests language originates from the natural world.
25. “Remember the dance language is, that life is.”	Language and life are like a dance, full of rhythm and movement.	Repetition (Anaphora), Metaphor	“Remember” emphasizes; compares language and life to a dance for harmony.
26. “Remember.”	A final call to keep these connections in mind.	Repetition (Anaphora)	Repeats “Remember” to reinforce the poem’s central message of mindfulness.

Summary and Analysis of “Remember” by Joy Harjo

📝 Summary of “Remember” by Joy Harjo
In Joy Harjo’s lyrical poem “Remember” (🌕), first published in her 1983 collection She Had Some Horses, the poet gently commands the reader to reconnect with all that shapes identity—ancestry, nature, the cosmos, and the sacred language of existence. Through the recurring imperative “Remember” (🔁), Harjo builds a rhythmic invocation that transcends personal memory to embrace a collective, spiritual consciousness. The speaker leads the reader through a journey beginning with celestial bodies—“the sky that you were born under” and “the sun’s birth at dawn” (☀️)—before grounding them in the physical, maternal experience of life: “your mother struggled to give you form and breath” (👩‍👧). She interlaces the natural world—plants, animals, wind, and earth—with the human, suggesting a kinship in which “they are alive poems” (🌳🐾💨). Ultimately, Harjo positions the individual as a living node in the web of existence: “you are this universe and this universe is you” (🌌), emphasizing a unity that is both deeply rooted and ever-expanding.

🔍 Critical Analysis of “Remember” by Joy Harjo
Harjo’s “Remember” functions not only as a poetic meditation but also as a cultural imperative, rooted in Indigenous epistemology and cosmology, where memory serves as both survival and resistance (🪶). The repeated directive “Remember” (🔁) acts as a rhythmic ceremony, invoking oral traditions that reinforce continuity across generations. By referring to the elements—“the moon… the sun’s birth… the wind” (🌙☀️💨)—as knowing entities, Harjo attributes agency and wisdom to nature, challenging Western dualisms that separate humans from the natural world. Her assertion that “language comes from this” (🔡) suggests that communication is not merely human but originates in the earth’s movements, seasons, and energies, aligning with Indigenous worldviews where language is sacred and animate. Moreover, her integration of ancestral memory—“you are evidence of her life, and her mother’s, and hers” (👣)—highlights how identity is genealogical and collective, not singular. The active voice and imperative structure create urgency, compelling the reader to internalize a worldview where remembering is not nostalgic but revolutionary. Through this poem, Harjo reshapes the act of remembering into a holistic, decolonial practice—one that reclaims interconnection as both a spiritual truth and a political stance (🌎✊).

Main Themes in “Remember” by Joy Harjo

🌌 Interconnectedness: In “Remember”, Joy Harjo intricately reveals the profound interconnectedness between all forms of existence—human, natural, ancestral, and cosmic. She actively collapses the boundaries between self and universe by stating, “you are this universe and this universe is you” (🌌), a line that powerfully encapsulates the poem’s spiritual and philosophical core. Harjo emphasizes that no being exists in isolation; instead, everything is part of an expansive web of relationships, where even the stars and the wind possess stories and voices. This theme echoes throughout the poem as the speaker urges the reader to “know each of the star’s stories” (✨) and “remember the wind… her voice” (💨), personifying natural elements to highlight their sentient presence. As the poem progresses, Harjo transitions smoothly from the universal to the personal, demonstrating that the individual’s life holds meaning only in relation to the larger collective. This holistic worldview, deeply rooted in Indigenous thought, encourages a continual awareness of our connection to all that exists, breathing unity into each remembered moment.

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🌱 Relationship with Nature: In “Remember”, Joy Harjo portrays nature not as a passive backdrop but as a living, breathing presence that communicates, teaches, and shares history. She urges readers to engage in a reciprocal relationship with the natural world by advising, “Talk to them, listen to them. They are alive poems” (🌳🐿️). Here, plants, animals, and elemental forces are depicted as vibrant participants in the web of life, each with their own “tribes, families, their histories” (🌿🦅), underscoring that nature mirrors human society in complexity and value. Harjo’s language empowers the non-human world, assigning it the agency to speak and be heard, thereby subverting anthropocentric assumptions. The earth itself becomes ancestral, as shown in the line “Remember the earth whose skin you are” (🌍), aligning the human body with the very soil it comes from. By asserting this unity, Harjo emphasizes that respecting nature is not optional but essential to understanding one’s place in the universe. Her portrayal of nature as alive and storied challenges the reader to shift from domination to dialogue, from consumption to communion.

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👣 Ancestry and Generational Memory: Joy Harjo’s “Remember” deeply honors the continuity of ancestry and the inheritance of memory passed through generations. She deliberately connects the reader to maternal and paternal lines by stating, “You are evidence of her life, and her mother’s, and hers” and “Remember your father. He is your life, also” (👵🧓), positioning the individual as a living embodiment of countless lives. This ancestral linkage reflects Indigenous values where identity is deeply collective, built through bloodlines, stories, and struggles. Harjo’s syntax in these lines is deliberate and rhythmic, mirroring the ritualistic nature of oral history and the act of remembering itself. By invoking the physical experience of birth—“how your mother struggled to give you form and breath” (🫁)—she grounds memory in the body, not just the mind, demonstrating that history is lived and felt. This focus on generational continuity not only preserves cultural legacy but also reinforces responsibility: the present must honor the past. Through each line, Harjo keeps the pulse of heritage alive, urging the reader to carry it forward with reverence and awareness.

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🌀 Language and Creation: In the final lines of “Remember”, Joy Harjo pivots toward the origins and power of language, presenting it as an organic force that arises from all remembered elements—earth, cosmos, ancestry, and motion. She declares, “Remember language comes from this. Remember the dance language is, that life is” (🗣️💃), blending linguistic creation with the vitality of movement and life itself. Here, language transcends speech; it becomes an embodied expression of existence, emerging from the rhythms of the universe. Harjo frames language as a sacred inheritance, not merely constructed but revealed through communion with all that surrounds us. The metaphor of dance reinforces the dynamism of language, implying that it is fluid, rhythmic, and deeply tied to cultural expression. This theme also highlights storytelling as both a survival tool and a sacred act—language preserves, communicates, and animates memory. By positioning language at the culmination of the poem, Harjo suggests it is the vessel that carries all remembered truths, urging the reader to not just recall but to speak, listen, and live in harmony with those truths.

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Critical Questions about “Remember” by Joy Harjo

Literary Theory and “Remember” by Joy Harjo

Literary Theory	Explanation of Theory’s Perspective	Application to “Remember”	References from the Poem
Ecocriticism	Ecocriticism examines the relationship between literature and the environment, emphasizing how texts portray nature, human-nature interactions, and ecological concerns, often advocating for environmental awareness.	In “Remember,” Joy Harjo celebrates the interconnectedness of humans and nature, portraying the natural world as a living, sacred entity that demands respect and reciprocity, aligning with ecocritical views of nature as a coequal partner rather than a resource. The poem urges readers to engage with elements like the earth, wind, and plants as sentient beings with stories, reflecting a deep ecological consciousness rooted in Native American spirituality.	“Remember the earth whose skin you are: red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth, brown earth, we are earth”; “Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them, listen to them”; “Remember the wind. Remember her voice.”
Feminist Theory	Feminist Theory analyzes literature for representations of gender, power dynamics, and female experiences, often highlighting how texts challenge or reinforce patriarchal structures and celebrate women’s voices or roles.	Harjo’s “Remember” foregrounds maternal lineage and feminine imagery, challenging patriarchal narratives by centering women’s roles in creation and continuity, while personifying natural elements as female, thus aligning with feminist ecocriticism that links women and nature. The poem honors the mother’s struggle and the chain of female ancestors, emphasizing their vital contributions to identity and life, which resonates with feminist themes of reclaiming women’s agency.	“Remember your birth, how your mother struggled to give you form and breath. You are evidence of her life, and her mother’s, and hers”; “Remember the moon, know who she is”; “Remember the wind. Remember her voice.”
Postcolonial Theory	Postcolonial Theory explores how literature addresses the impacts of colonialism, including cultural identity, resistance to colonial narratives, and the reclamation of indigenous voices and traditions.	In “Remember,” Harjo, as a Muscogee (Creek) poet, reclaims Native American perspectives by emphasizing indigenous values of interconnectedness and respect for nature, countering colonial narratives that often devalue indigenous knowledge. The poem’s focus on ancestral memory and the sacredness of the land resists Western individualism, asserting a collective identity tied to precolonial roots and oral traditions.	“Remember your father. He is your life, also”; “Remember you are all people and all people are you”; “Remember the earth whose skin you are”; “Remember the dance language is, that life is.”
New Historicism	New Historicism examines literature in its historical and cultural context, considering how texts reflect or challenge the power structures, ideologies, and social conditions of their time, often uncovering marginalized voices.	“Remember” reflects the historical context of Native American resilience in the face of colonial dispossession, with Harjo’s emphasis on memory and interconnectedness serving as a counter-narrative to the historical erasure of indigenous cultures during the late 20th century, when Native voices were gaining prominence. The poem’s call to remember ancestry and nature situates it within the cultural revitalization movements of Native American communities, reclaiming spiritual and ecological wisdom in a modern context.	“Remember your birth, how your mother struggled”; “Remember you are this universe and this universe is you”; “Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their tribes, their families, their histories, too.”

Poems Similar to “Remember” by Joy Harjo

• 🌿 “The Peace of Wild Things” by Wendell Berry
  Like Harjo’s reverent tone toward nature, Berry emphasizes healing through immersion in the natural world, portraying the earth as a source of peace and spiritual grounding.
• 🌀 “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman
  Both poems celebrate interconnectedness between the self and the universe, with Whitman asserting, like Harjo, that the individual contains multitudes and reflects the cosmos.
• 👣 “Praise Song for My Mother” by Grace Nichols
  Nichols, like Harjo, uses poetic tribute to honor maternal lineage and cultural memory, blending personal affection with ancestral strength.
• 💨 “Eagle Poem” by Joy Harjo
  This companion piece by Harjo shares “Remember”’s spiritual cadence and emphasis on cyclical, sacred life forces, calling for a prayerful awareness of nature and self.
• 🔥 “Heritage” by Linda Hogan
  Hogan’s poem, like “Remember,” foregrounds Native identity, ancestral continuity, and the sacredness of all living things through lyrical invocation and earth-based imagery.

Representation Quotations in “Remember” by Joy Harjo

🔢	Quotation	Contextual Meaning	Theoretical Perspective
1	“Remember the sky that you were born under”	Invokes cosmic origin and birth as a sacred act tied to the universe	Ecocriticism – Nature is not a setting but a living, spiritual entity integral to identity
2	“Remember your birth, how your mother struggled to give you form and breath.”	Emphasizes embodied memory and maternal sacrifice across generations	Feminist Theory – Centers women’s roles and physical labor in cultural memory
3	“You are evidence of her life, and her mother’s, and hers.”	Establishes identity as genealogical and collective	Postcolonial Theory – Reclaims lineage and memory often erased by colonial histories
4	“Remember the earth whose skin you are”	Aligns human existence with the body of the earth	Indigenous Knowledge Systems – Asserts humans as extensions of the earth, not separate from it
5	“Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their tribes, their families, their histories, too.”	Personifies non-human life, granting them social structures	Animism & Indigenous Epistemology – Validates non-human agency and cultural complexity
6	“Talk to them, listen to them. They are alive poems.”	Suggests reciprocal communication with nature	Orality & Poetics – Language and poetry arise from natural rhythms and relationships
7	“Remember the wind. Remember her voice.”	Attributes gender and voice to an elemental force	Ecofeminism – Merges environmental and feminist perspectives through natural symbolism
8	“You are all people and all people are you.”	Affirms unity of all human existence, dismantling individualism	Humanism – Promotes empathy, universality, and shared human experience
9	“Remember language comes from this.”	Connects language to the natural and ancestral world	Linguistic Anthropology – Language is rooted in land, memory, and oral traditions
10	“Remember the dance language is, that life is.”	Equates language and life with movement and ceremony	Symbolic Interactionism – Language is not just functional but symbolic and performative

Suggested Readings: “Remember” by Joy Harjo

1. Šimková, Karolína. “Memory and Storytelling in Selected Works of Joy Harjo.” (2022).
2. Gould, Janice, and Joy Harjo. “An Interview with Joy Harjo.” Western American Literature, vol. 35, no. 2, 2000, pp. 130–42. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43022000. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
3. Jaskoski, Helen, and Joy Harjo. “A MELUS Interview: Joy Harjo.” MELUS, vol. 16, no. 1, 1989, pp. 5–13. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/467577. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
4. Goodman, Jenny, et al. “Politics and the Personal Lyric in the Poetry of Joy Harjo and C. D. Wright.” MELUS, vol. 19, no. 2, 1994, pp. 35–56. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/467724. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.