18 pages 36 minutes read

Rita Dove

Heart to Heart

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 2004

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Poem Analysis

Analysis: “Heart to Heart”

“Heart to Heart” begins through negation or describing what the heart is not: “It’s neither red / nor sweet” (Lines 1-2). Immediately, the speaker rejects these ideas as misconceptions and continues, “It doesn’t melt / or turn over, / break or harden” (Lines 3-5). Playing with the concept of cliché, the speaker claims that such figurative descriptions do not apply; all this distinct diction (“melt” [Line 3], “break” [Line 5], “harden” [Line 5]) is related to clichés or colloquialisms about the heart. However, by looking at the heart through the lens of biology—ultimately the lens of the literal—the heart is anatomical and can do none of these things.

“Heart to Heart” is a poem built on reasoning. As the speaker tries to understand the heart and its workings, the first stanza is a conditional statement: If the heart cannot do any of these metaphorical things, then “it can’t feel / pain, / yearning, / regret” (Lines 6-9). Through logic, the speaker claims that the heart is merely an unfeeling muscle: The first stanza inaugurates a staunch, unyielding literalism that will carry to Line 16.

Line 10 continues this list of description by way of negation, stating “It doesn’t have / a tip to spin on, / it isn’t even shapely” (Lines 10-13).

Related Titles

By Rita Dove

Study Guide

logo

Fifth Grade Autobiography

Rita Dove

Fifth Grade Autobiography

Rita Dove

Plot Summary

logo

The Darker Face of the Earth

Rita Dove

The Darker Face of the Earth

Rita Dove

Plot Summary

logo

Thomas and Beulah

Rita Dove

Thomas and Beulah

Rita Dove

Study Guide

logo

Wingfoot Lake

Rita Dove

Wingfoot Lake

Rita Dove