When the World as We Knew It Ended

Harjo wrote “When the World as We Knew It Ended” in free verse, meaning that it lacks a rhyme scheme or regular meter. The poem uses irregular line breaks and rhythm to mimic the more natural patterns of speech. It features anaphora, or repeating words and phrases; it creates rhythm based on the repetition of the word “we” (Lines 1, 9, 11, 15, 16, 21, 25, 29, 35, 40). This makes the poem more like a song or chant. Traditionally poems, speeches, sermons, and songs use repeating phrases to create a hypnotic effect and be easier to remember. Harjo’s poem is incantatory. The repetition of “we” also plays up the poem’s themes of unification and communal power. There may be many uses of “we” because there are so many individuals in the community and because the community continues to grow in strength and size.

It is not completely clear who the “we” is. The line “We were dreaming on an occupied island” (Line 1) suggests that the speaker embodies the