Question

In the poem Heart to Heart by Rita Dove, what does the heart represent? Not the qualities of the heart, but what does it mean and represent?

Answer 1

In this poem, the poet begins by stating that a heart is "neither red nor sweet." This goes against the common social ideas of what a heart is like. Dove goes against the idea that our heart connects to our emotions and "doesn't melt or turn over, break or harden". The heart is the epitome of Love (the theme).