The Joy of Cooking

This poem was not at all what I had anticipated to read, to say the least. The figurative language of preparing the sister's tongue and the brother's heart for a meal is quite grotesque but also somewhat humorous. Descriptions of the tongue and heart characterize the brother and sister, and that is done so in a way that complements the style of the poem. When mentioning the sister's tongue, the speaker "trimmed the roots, small bones, and gristle," saying "it probably will grow back." These descriptions of the tongue correlate to the sister's personality; perhaps she is quite loquacious and has a sharp tongue. The brother's heart is "firm and rather dry" and needs "stuffing to make it interesting at all." Her brother's heart "barely feeds two," and this description is much harsher than the speaker's criticism of the sister. Saying that the brother's heart is too small, not interesting, and dry certainly conveys the speaker's feelings about the brother's lack of love. The tone seemed bitter, and it provided an interesting way to complain about one's siblings.