How to Triumph Like a Girl

The controlling metaphor of horses is highly dynamic. It is an image that is both natural and highly civilized. Wild horses do not race one another, so the implied tame horse becomes a symbol of both nature and civilization. It is power contained in a ritual. It is animal force turned into a social status symbol. It is both natural and human-influenced.

Limón repeats the phrase “lady” and “ladies” (Lines 1, 5, and 8) throughout the poem. Although the term more generally means a woman, as opposed to a man, the connotation remains that a “lady” is someone of elevated status. “Lady” comes from Medieval times when a “lady” would be distinguished from a common or lower-class woman. She has “breeding” and is intelligent, graceful, and educated. She is not only a female, but the best example of what a female can and should be, all usually while conforming to gender norms of the society that elevates her has come to expect from their highest citizens.

The “lady horses” (Lines 5 and 8) take on the personality of stereotyped “ladies” of America and England. The phrase “Ears up, girls, ears up!” (Line 6) mimics the speech of upper-class women concerned with appearances. Even in the midst of physical activity, like running 40 miles per hour, a lady would make sure she set the right example for those watching.

By using this diction the speaker suggests that lady horses are not rebelling against their society but rather trying to reach and set examples for how to reach its higher standards. At the same time, the line is meant to be funny. Horses probably do not speak like British aristocrats. To believe so betrays how absurd it is for society to tame horses away from their nature. Yet, the lady horses apparently succeed in meeting these rigid and often ridiculous requirements.

However, the horses in Limón’s poem are not bristling at social constraints, longing to break free. They seem to thrive in the social system to which they have been bred. They have a “swagger” (Line 5) to them. They seem to enjoy the attention they get after winning and to take pride in their accomplishments. The line “Ears up girls, ears up!” (Line 6) shows that the horses are aware of being watched. They know they are on parade in front of humans and their cameras, and they seem to enjoy it.

It suggests that women do not necessarily want to escape the confines of society and go back to a wild time or place. Within their confines and structures they want to feel confident, capable of meeting that society’s expectations. The final line of the poem does not call for ending races but rather suggests the speaker wants to believe she will “come in first” (Line 18). That desire for self-confidence, or rather the expression and affirmation of confidence, is central to the poem.