Question

ASSIGNMENT IN PROGRESS FOR WHITE READING: 4TH PERIODDUE JANUARY 27, 2022
HEART TO HEART
by Rita Dove2004
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Rita Dove is a contemporary American writer. She is the second African American poet to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.
As you read, take notes on how the author describes the heart.
It’s neither red

nor sweet.

It doesn’t melt

or turn over,

break or harden,

so it can’t feel

pain,

yearning,

regret.

It doesn’t have

a tip to spin on,

it isn’t even

shapely —

just a thick clutch

of muscle,

lopsided,

mute. Still,

I feel it inside

its cage sounding

a dull tattoo:

I want, I want —

but I can’t open it:

there’s no key.

I can’t wear it

on my sleeve,

or tell you from

the bottom of it

how I feel. Here,

it’s all yours, now —

but you’ll have

to take me,

too.

"Heart to Heart" from American Smooth by Rita Dove. Copyright © 2004 by Rita Dove
5.What is a theme in the poem? Use evidence from the poem to support your answer.

Answer 1

Answer:

The theme of "Heart to Heart" is the inability to control one's desires, being unable to explain or know how you feel, and struggling with the emotions you have.

Explanation:

The theme can be supported by the words "I want, I want — but I can't open it: there's no key." this sentence from the poem supports the idea of an indecisive struggle with emotions and desires. In addition, the section "I can't wear it on my sleeve, or tell you from the bottom of it how I feel." emphasizes the lack of emotional intelligence. The heart is continuously referenced as nothing more than an object, taking a logical approach that implies rejecting one's emotions before switching to a metaphorical perspective that feels more willing to accept those feelings.