I recently picked up Ada Limón's Bright Dead Things to get back into poetry. I never wrote a lot of poems in the past but always found myself attracted to this feeling of awe after reading a poem. It's intimidating but quite fun to swim in a tsunami of emotions that a poem generates and attempt to navigate what's going on. So, rather than indulging in poetry on my own, I thought I'd share some of my thoughts with you and invite you to join me on this journey. In the very slim chance you decline this invitation, feel free to just read the poems and head on out.
How To Triumph Like A Girl
By Ada Limón
I like the lady horses best,
how they make it all look easy,
like running 40 miles per hour
is as fun as taking a nap, or grass.
I like their lady horse swagger,
after winning. Ears up, girls, ears up!
But mainly, let’s be honest, I like
that they’re ladies. As if this big
dangerous animal is also a part of me,
that somewhere inside the delicate
skin of my body, there pumps
an 8-pound female horse heart,
giant with power, heavy with blood.
Don’t you want to believe it?
Don’t you want to lift my shirt and see
the huge beating genius machine
that thinks, no, it knows,
it’s going to come in first.
Thoughts going through my mind:
Why add "like a girl" in the title? Difference between "How To Triumph" and "How To Triumph Like A Girl"?
Love the descriptive diction: "8-pound female horse heart" & "running 40 miles per hour"
Delicate skin vs. 8-pound heart: External image vs. internal self?
"Don't you want to believe it?" = rhetorical question that encourages readers to reconsider pre-conceived ideas of women
Notion of empowerment = if a female horse can do it, so can I
A word of encouragement for those heading towards (or struggling to reach) the finish line
Why does Limón start the collection with this poem? I think I'll return to this after finishing the book.
That's about it for today. If you would like to share anything, feel free to send me a private memo or drop any comments below. I'll see you tomorrow.
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