King of the Wind

“The bugle sounded. Sir Barton, a dark chestnut horse, and Man o’ War, the red-gold stallion, were paraded past the judges’ stand, past the grandstand, past the stand where moving-picture men were grinding their cameras. Man o’ War heard the roar of the crowds. He smelled his opponent. But his eyes were fixed on the track, spread out clean and inviting before him. He knew what it meant. Business! His business. Racing!”

Henry uses imagery to depict the setting of the racetrack and the horses’ beauty through auditory details like the sound of the bugle and visual details like the stallions’ “dark chestnut” and “red-gold” coats. In addition, the mention of the “moving-picture men” gives an idea of the prologue’s 1920 setting and underlines the race’s significance. The author’s use of repetition, italics, and an exclamation point in the fragments “Business! His business” convey Man o’ War’s confidence and eagerness, building up the suspense before the race begins.

“And then the jockey remembered the trainer’s words: ‘Let Red run his own race. Don’t hold him in.’ He gave Man o’ War his head. Like a dynamo on the loose, Big Red leaped out. He was a machine with pistons for legs, pistons that struck out in perfect rhythm. He caught Sir Barton. He flew past him in great long leaps.”

Henry uses a simile to liken Man o’ War to “a dynamo on the loose,” and a metaphor compares the horse to “a machine with pistons for legs.” These instances of figurative language convey the stallion’s unbeatable speed and vigor, adding excitement to Henry’s account of the historic race.

“There was no sound anywhere, not from the palace walls beyond, nor from the quarters over the stables where the horseboys lived. The whole world seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for dusk to fall. Small voices of insects and birds were beginning to pierce the quiet. Twilight toads piping on their bassoons. Crickets chirping. Wood doves cooing. And afar off in the Atlas Mountains a hyena began to laugh.”

The author’s use of auditory imagery, such as the laughter of hyenas, helps to establish the narrative’s movement from 1920 Canada to 18th-century Morocco. These specific sounds, such as “[t]wilight toads piping” and “[c]rickets chirping,” signal the approach of sunset, which marks the end of the day’s fast.