Heart to Heart

“American Smooth” by Rita Dove (2004)

As a poem about two people dancing, Dove’s “American Smooth” is comparable to “Heart to Heart,” a poem about two people discussing emotions and desires. However, “American Smooth” is a tonally positive, flowing poem and directly contrasts to “Heart to Heart,” which is written in a restricted tone of resignation. Furthermore, both poems are published in Dove’s collection American Smooth, and it would be fruitful to study two poems within the same collection.

“Movement Song” by Audre Lorde (1973)

Audre Lorde is a contemporary of Dove and describes herself as “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet” (“Audre Lorde.” Poetry Foundation). She is an important voice to read alongside Dove’s. “Movement Song” is a poem dealing with metaphor and abstraction, much like “Heart to Heart.” While different in structure and tone, the two poems offer many similar insights when read side-by-side.

“the mother” by Gwendolyn Brooks (1963)

Gwendolyn Brooks, while born much earlier than Dove in 1917, is an important and widely read poet of the 20th century. Brooks’s “the mother” uses several of the same literary devices as “Heart to Heart” and deals with similar themes of emotion and love.