20 pages • 40 minutes read
When the World as We Knew It Ended
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Symbols & Motifs
The “Fire Dragon”
The poem refers to oil and gas. In the second stanza the speaker says: “Oil was sucked dry / by two brothers. Then it went down. Swallowed / by a fire dragon, by oil and fear” (Lines 4-6).
The “two brothers” (Line 5) are a reference to David and Charles Koch, who, at that time, jointly ran Koch Industries, an oil and chemical conglomerate. The brothers’ company has taken oil out of the earth from many sites in and outside of the United States. Harjo’s line conflates oil and fear, and suggests that the economy around fossil fuels has led to war and conflict, exploitation of workers, and ecological degradation. The poem personifies oil and fear, meaning that it gives them human qualities. It personifies them as a dragon, as something that swallows the Twin Towers. In this sense, fear, oil, and the dragon are the debris pile the Towers collapsed into and the fires that burned on the site for weeks.
The speaker links oil with the burning oil fields of Iraq. The idea of being “Swallowed / by a fire dragon” (Lines 5-6) makes the oil larger than any one person. A dragon is mythical, special, often imbued with special powers, but also capable of great destruction. Harjo envisions a monster that embodies the turmoil caused by the capitalist energy system.
The dragon also represents empire, greed, or any other force that leads one nation to exploit or war with one another. The desire to make money off of oil is emblematic of the desire to dominate and rule, to control the land, earth, and other people. Oil and empire represent selfishness, greed, and the destructive use of force.
Rice, Potatoes, and Sweetgrasses
The speaker describes how regular citizens watch the terrorist attack as they perform mundane tasks. This contrasts with the mythological, cataclysmic force of the dragon. The common people are nurturing new things—cooking, feeding, and taking care of children. They contribute to the growth of others and the next generation. The choice of foods the speaker lists are significant. Rice and potatoes come from the earth in abundance and do not require any killing to eat. They are inexpensive and dietary staples of the poor. This aligns Harjo’s “we” with those who may have been oppressed and living in poverty but also with the natural abundance of the earth.
In later stanzas Harjo notes that the speaker loves the world “for its sweet grasses, for the many-colored horses / and fishes” (Lines 41-42). Sweetgrass is a sacred herb for Native Americans. Nature provides everything people need for free; there is an abundance of beautiful, nourishing plant life available for the taking. The dragon monster of greed and power is not necessary to survive adequately and live fully.
Milk and Seed
The speaker writes—“there were the seeds to plant and the babies / who needed milk” (Lines 44-45). Seeds traditionally signify rebirth and the cycle of life, recreating an ever-recurring supply of sustenance while living in harmony with the soil. Oil, by contrast, is in limited supply and despoils the earth. The speaker values fecundity and the many natural pleasures that nature provides. The household tropes of food and housework create a sense of home and tenderness that contrasts with the brutal and destructive powers of war and industry.
Creative Pursuits
The speaker personifies the earth as a woman carrying a child. Like ordinary people nurturing each other, making art, and playing music, the earth too is preparing to give birth to something new.
The poem parallels the creation of art with the creation of life. The casual way the speaker describes making art suggests that the artist is seeking pleasure and community, not money or fame. They sing and make music, just as mothers give babies milk and those working in the kitchen make rice and potatoes.
It is significant that the speaker chooses the “guitar” and the “ukulele” (Line 46). A guitar is distinctly American, used by folk singers and American rock artists. A ukulele is a distinctly Native instrument. This suggests that Native Americans and Americans of other backgrounds are working together to create a new song. The fragility of these instruments may represent a delicacy and beauty that survives catastrophe.
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