"The Carrying" by Ada Limón (2017)

"The Carrying" is the titular poem for Limón's most recent collection, and the one including “Dead Stars.” The natural world is evocatively described—November bites the sky with teeth and dying trees retain a flush of color, showing Limón’s interest in portraying the natural world with distinct and artistic descriptions. The speaker then sees animals, a suffering dog and pregnant mares, and the mixture of pain, life, and death create a heavy burden. The speaker senses she can carry the burden of the life around her, and that all life has purpose and meaning, establishing a tone and thematic message for the collection echoed in “Dead Stars.

"How to Triumph Like a Girl" by Ada Limón (2018)

"How to Triumph Like a Girl” is another poem included in the same collection as “Dead Stars.” Like “Dead Stars,” "How to Triumph" includes vivid descriptions of nature--this time focusing on female horses. Again, Limón connects people to the world around them. Like her observation that humans are made from dead stars, the poet envisions the power of a horse within her.

Thematically, however, “How to Triumph Like a Girl” differs from “Dead Stars.