Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Anne Sexton’s poem "The Doctor of the Heart" delves into the speaker’s complex relationship with medical professionals and the notion of healing, particularly as it pertains to the heart—a metaphor for emotional and psychological pain as much as physical ailment. The poem is a vehement critique of the limitations of medical science in addressing the deeper, more intangible aspects of human suffering.

The opening line, "Take away your knowledge, Doktor," immediately sets a confrontational tone. The speaker rejects the authority of the doctor, whose expertise seems inadequate in the face of her suffering. The dismissive use of "Doktor" instead of "doctor" not only distances the speaker from the medical profession but also hints at a certain disdain for the cold, clinical approach that characterizes the doctor's methods. The phrase "It doesn't butter me up" suggests that the doctor’s knowledge fails to comfort or soothe the speaker, rendering it useless in the face of her profound emotional turmoil.

The poem’s imagery reflects the mechanical and impersonal nature of the doctor’s tools: "wires and electrodes," a "zigzag machine," and the "suction cup." These objects are emblematic of a medical practice that reduces the human body to a series of readings and measurements, devoid of emotional context. The speaker’s heart is "sick unto," implying an incompleteness to the diagnosis—her heart is sick, but the reason or cure remains elusive. The speaker's challenge to the doctor, "You ought to have more respect!" underscores a demand for recognition of her suffering as something that transcends the physical, something that the doctor's instruments cannot measure or heal.

As the poem progresses, the speaker's tone shifts to one of bitter irony. She requests the doctor’s Phi Beta key, a symbol of academic achievement, not for its intended purpose but to "make a gold crown for [her] molar." This act of repurposing the key suggests a deep cynicism toward the doctor’s education and the supposed wisdom it bestows. The speaker mocks the notion that the doctor’s knowledge can be applied to her situation, instead proposing absurd solutions like using "a fingernail for an eyeglass" or pressing out her "slipped disk" with an iron. These exaggerated, almost grotesque images highlight the futility of applying conventional medical treatments to the speaker’s profound inner pain.

The poem takes a darker turn as the speaker reflects on the personal tragedies that medical science could not prevent or heal. The mention of her "mother's carcinoma," her "father's cerebral hemorrhage," and her "sister's broken neck" introduces a stark contrast between the speaker’s trivialized ailments and the catastrophic losses she has endured. The speaker’s anguish is palpable as she acknowledges her helplessness, possessing only "one cup of fetus tears," "a jigger of blood," and a "schoolroom ruler" as inadequate tools for curing these profound losses. These images underscore the inadequacy of both medical science and the speaker’s own resources in confronting death and trauma.

In the poem’s final lines, the speaker shifts her focus back to herself, questioning whether there is "such a device for [her] heart." The "gimmick called magic fingers" suggests a desperate grasp at anything that might provide relief, no matter how superficial or temporary. The plea for her heart to "beat like a rock guitar" is a powerful image, conveying a desire for vibrancy and intensity in the face of overwhelming despair. The speaker’s declaration, "I am at the ship's prow. / I am no longer the suicide / with her raft and paddle," marks a turning point. She rejects the identity of the passive victim or the suicidal figure, choosing instead to take a stand, even if it is on the uncertain deck of a ship at sea.

The poem concludes with a direct address to the "Herr Doktor," a term that evokes both respect and irony. The speaker’s refusal to "die / to spite you" signals a rejection of the doctor’s authority and the power of death itself. The "seasick grounded man" becomes a symbol of the limitations of those who try to diagnose and control life’s uncontrollable elements. The speaker’s ultimate defiance is not just against the doctor, but against the inevitability of death and the reduction of human experience to mere physicality.

"The Doctor of the Heart" is a powerful expression of frustration with the medical profession’s inability to address the emotional and existential dimensions of suffering. Through vivid imagery and a tone that shifts from mocking to mournful, Sexton conveys the complexity of grief, loss, and the search for meaning in the face of mortality. The poem captures the tension between the tangible and the intangible, the measurable and the immeasurable, ultimately affirming the speaker’s resolve to live on her own terms, despite the limitations of those who seek to define her.

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