Analysis Of How To Triumph Like A Girl By Ada Limón

In How to Triumph Like a Girl by Ada Limón, the speaker discusses her appreciation for female horses, but also conveys an overall message that can be applied to the female form in general. While describing her love for the “lady horses”, her words create these somewhat generalized themes that continue to be further illustrated throughout the poem. Such as the concept that femininity is not weak, gender does not equal worth, and that triumph does not actually have anything to do with being a girl, or otherwise.

The very first line of the text, “I like the lady horse best,” comes off to the reader as being sort of childlike, almost as though the speaker is trying to make a point which anyone could make or come to on their own. It only makes

sense that she likes the lady horses best. They go on to explain a little bit further, saying that the reason they like them is how easy they make it look to do seemingly difficult things, “like running 40 miles per hour” (line 3). They appreciate how even though the horse is completing a task which to a human would be insanely difficult, they are still having fun with it, as though that type of power is a natural and liberating thing, like “taking a nap” (line 4). The horse is, of course, just simply living its normal life. Yes, it is racing, which is something that contains human-made restrictions, but even then it is only doing what it was made to do and having fun in the process, a fact which greatly satisfies the speaker because she might too long to simply do what she was created to, whatever that may be, and have fun.
The speaker says that she “likes their lady horse swagger, when winning,” which while sort of humorous to think about, adds to the notion that the speaker themselves wishes to have that kind of freedom and carefree nature (line 5-6). Not only do the horses live their lives doing exactly what they want to do, but then they win and get to show off about it too. They do not live for anyone but themselves, and effortlessly lead better lives because of it. A life which the speaker themselves, could be living if she chose to. “Ears up, girls, ears up!” (line 6). To me, this phrase sounds like the same types of reminders you hear people call to models, or performers. The constant mantra of “suck it in” and “smile” told to girls which are meant to make them look more attractive to their audience. But of course, the horse is not trying to appear attractive, they are just going about their day normally. The only reason they would look any specific way, or position themselves a certain way would be because of their human owners. The speaker knows this, but perhaps she is insinuating that the horses, because they are female, also have to worry about trivial things like appearing attractive to others. Maybe all females, in general, have to worry about things of this nature.
“But mainly, let’s be honest, I like that they’re ladies.” (line 7-8).

She says this as though it’s an obvious statement, not one she should have to explain any further, but also as though it’s a lesser reason. As though being attracted to the horses simply because they are feminine isn’t quite reason enough for validation. She then goes on to connect herself personally to the horses she has been talking about. The horses are not simply just horses, they are “lady horses”. Which means that even though the speaker and the horses are of different species altogether, they share at least one thing in common, and therefore the speaker has a chance at being able to achieve the same type of carefree self-proclaimed life that the horses live. “As if this big dangerous animal is also a part of me,” she says (line8-9). Even though the horses are these massive animals that were built for endurance and strength, and the speaker is just a human, small and fragile, maybe she too can see and carry herself as the horses do. Not only that, but she considers them to be “dangerous”, and that’s the very first connection to herself that she identifies with these horses in the poem at all. Maybe she also wishes to be dangerous, not because she wants to cause harm, but she wants to be capable the way that they are. They do not know that there is any other way to be, unlike humans who constantly run through the possibilities and probabilities, and perhaps that is a part of their power and

poise.
The notion that inside of this girl there could be, “an 8-pound female horse heart, giant with power,” while being obviously unrealistic, is a concept that all humans seem to lust for at times (line 12-13). She views the horses as being superior to human beings in this regard, herself included. She calls the horse heart a “huge beating genius machine”, which while obviously grandiose, is also another reference to their greatness as opposed to her normal heart (line 16). Humans are the “superior species” because they can use logic, emotion, and critical thinking, but they are also inferior in that they dwell too often on the unnecessary possibilities and regrets that each of them carry. Each of them longs, at some point, to give up all of that over-thinking and simply live, as the speaker does in this poem. She has witnessed the beauty and triumph of this horse, this lady horse that she identifies with, and now that she has seen that type of power and unbidden liberation from all self-conscious thought, she wants to be a part of it and feel that way as well. It is a simple wish to gain self-fulfillment, as opposed to the flimsy gratification that comes with doing what is instructed by others. “Don’t you want to believe it?” she asks (line 14). But really, she wants to believe it. She wants the reassurance that what she craves, to be able to lead the same types of lives as these horses, is a real possibility. She wants to believe that even though she is only human, and maybe even though she is only a girl, she can still be happy and successful in what she does like the lady horses are.
This poem carries very heavy themes of feminism and a longing for freedom and loss of reservation. The speaker dwells on the lady horses not just because they are ladies, but also because they are powerful and successful. The fact that they are ladies is still an integral part of the poem though, as it speaks on several levels to the reader about the types of stigmas toward women that are just assumed without even needing mention. For instance, she likes the lady horses best. It needs to be stated that they are lady horses, because that’s what makes them different from your everyday normal horses: they’re female. Not only that, but the term lady implies that they are elegant, poised like “ladies” are taught to be. They do their job well, but they also look good while doing it, which to many women is the perfect dream. The speaker then explains that the reason she likes them is because of their effortless abilities, and their determination to win, which says something about the assumption of female capability in the normal world. Girls have to work harder to get to the same places that boys do, especially in athletics. And even once they get there, they don’t always know that they are going to win, especially against those same boys. The horses though, they don’t even know that there is this type of unspoken competition going on at all. They are just an ordinary horse, on an ordinary day, acting normally. The lady horses just do what they would have done anyway, and know for sure that they will triumph because it is what they were made for. They are going to win. It’s that simple.
I think this poem by Ada Limón enforces the mindset that gender does not equal worth. The horses are powerful and they are female, but they are not strong because they are female. The same way that if they were strong and male, it would have nothing to do with their gender. This is especially evident because they may not even realize that there is supposed to be a difference between the male and female horses themselves. In this same way, humans are not defined or limited solely by their gender. The only difference between these horses and her, is that she doubts her own capabilities, at least partially because of her position as a woman and someone who is soft and weak. Femininity here is a tool, and something by which the speaker can draw her idolization. Femininity is not a weakness, but simply another factor that goes into the equation that makes up your capability and strength. She is drawn to these horses specifically because they are feminine, and so is she, and that connection is what pulls them together.
The main theme in this poem is the true power that comes with femininity and being a girl, and not only that, but finding and knowing that power for sure within yourself and being able to rely on it. It does not do to just hope that you will succeed because you may be capable, but to know you will succeed because there is simply no other possibility. This poem’s title tells the reader it is going to explain “How to Triumph Like a Girl”, but the answer is very simple. How to triumph like a girl? Just Triumph.