Question

“And I have learned too 

To laugh with only my teeth

And shake hands without my heart”

(a) Explain ‘To laugh with only my teeth’. 

(b) Why is he shaking hands without heart?

Answer 1

(a) Laughing with only teeth means laughing without genuine emotions of love, warmth and friendliness. It is fake. 

(b) The heart is a symbol of genuine emotions. The poet recalls the time when people used to smile and shake hands with their hearts. Now, things have become different.