17 pages • 34 minutes read
Ada LimónHow to Triumph Like a Girl
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 2013A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Further Reading & Resources
Related Poems
“Downhearted” by Ada Limón (2011)
In this poem Limón relays the story of “Six horses [that] died in a tractor-trailer fire.” She writes that her heart is like a woman curled up on “the floor / of the torso” with sadness over the loss of the horses. It is one of several poems in which horses appear and in which Limón explores with tenderness her connection to the natural world, and her grief over its destruction.
“The Carrying” by Ada Limón (2017)
This is the titular poem of Limón’s follow-up to Bright Dead Things. In “The Carrying” she paints a picture of what it is like to live in Kentucky and again to identify with a female horse. Unlike in “How to Triumph Like a Girl” this poem is more somber, as she compares herself to a female horse who is pregnant while she remains childless. This poem shows Limón’s dexterity as a writer, and the way her tone as well as the use of the horse as a metaphor evolves over time.
“Service” by Ada Limón (2015)
In “Service” Limón depicts a scene where, on a road trip with a now ex-boyfriend, she stops to use the restroom. A dog “pisses” outside the designated bathroom showing the speaker that a rebellious woman doesn’t ask for permission or wait to do what she needs. As a result, the speaker pisses “like the hard bitch I was.” This is an excellent example of Limón’s use of humor to tackle issues of Ecofeminist concern.
Further Literary Resources
Limón discusses her book Bright Dead Things which begins with the poem “How to Triumph Like a Girl.” She relates how difficult it was to publish the book because it was so personal and how times of political turmoil have made her poetry stronger. Limón discusses how gratitude is at the center of her writing.
“The Irresistibility of Life in Ada Limón’s Bright Dead Things” by Kailey Tedesco (2015)
This review of Bright Dead Things offers insight into what makes Limón a unique and beloved poet. Her work is personal but also approachable. The reviewer compares reading the book to eavesdropping on a conversation and notes that Limón’s work reminds the readers of the beauty of the world, even of “forgotten things."
“What Feminist Poet Ada Limón is Carrying Through the Trump Era” by Carmen Rios (2018)
Though it was published several years after “How to Triumph Like a Girl” was published, this interview offers insight into Limón’s views on feminism and what it means to be both a feminist and a person of color in a time that is particularly difficult for both groups. In this interview with “MS. Magazine” she explains the difficulties women face on a personal and a political level. She discusses the ways that she focuses on little things in front of her to stay grounded and other times she wakes up feeling as though she needs to fight.
Listen to Poem
The Georgia Tech Network brings Ada Limón to read ten poems to an audience of people who are new to poetry. She opens with “How to Triumph Like a Girl.” She shares some of her personal experiences about writing and what inspires her to write. This reading is meant to be accessible to those who may be new to poetry. Limón displays her natural sense of humor and her ability to connect with an audience.
Related Titles
By Ada Limón
