How would you describe the tone of the poemthe speakers attitude toward itself and toward the other subjects of the poem. Sylvia plath s mirror is a poem which deals intimately with the idea of women searching for distinctions between the real self and the false. In line 12, the mirror calls the moon and candles liars. In lines 1718, the image of the aging woman is compared to a terrible fish. Where and how does sylvia plath best personify the mirror in her poem. Jan 09, 2020 this poem is all about appearances and the search for the self. Sylvia plaths poem mirror discusses the concepts of female identity and selfrepresentation. Personification poem by jdailey is licensed under a. The bell jar autobiographical novel amazon parnassus powells.
The poem is written from the perspectives of two entities. Pass out a photocopy of mirror by sylvia plath to each student in the class. It captures the frustration of people as they look at their reflection watching themselves age. I am not cruel, only truthful the eye of a little god, fourcornered. In the beginning the changes are simple, like the acts of day turning to night, but at the end we see the life changes of a woman in particular. An analysis of mirror by sylvia plath macy hogben college. The death of sylvia plaths father at age eight was a decisive experience shaping her life, an aspect drawing her towards death and representing the profound deprivation of this significant parental figure. Through the use of metaphor and personification in the poem, plath creates images of water, reflections, and colors as having human characteristics to emphasize the. October 27, 1932 february 11, 1963 was an american poet, novelist, and shortstory writer. Use sylvia plaths poem mirror as a model to teach personification. This poem by sylvia plath symbolizes the troubled self of the woman, who has had to reject the given masks imposed on her by the patriarchal society and see herself as an individual. The midwife slapped your footsoles, and your bald cry. Sylvia plath s mirror is a poem told from the point of view of the mirror. Written in the first person, the speaker within the poem describes their existence first as a.
The woman struggles with the loss of her beauty, admitting each day that she is growing older. In the second stanza, sylvia plath introduces a new element to the poem. The mirror imagery in plaths poetry, therefore, signifies the. Discuss the way plath uses language in the poem to convey this complex tone. Dont forget that plath authored both characters mirror and woman and is thus present in both. Her novel, the bell jar, is strongly autobiographical, and her later poems, such as daddy and lady lazarus, show great power and pathos borne on flashes of incisive wit.
Born in 1932 to middle class parents in jamaica plain, massachusetts, sylvia plath published her first poem at the age of eight. Compared to most of the others in plath s oeuvre, this poem is not particularly difficult to analyze. The poem metaphors by sylvia plath has been examined and analysed in this article. On february 11, 1963, sylvia plath succeeded in killing herself with cooking gas at the age of thirty. Though the speaker is a mirror, the subjects are time and appearance. Sylvia plath s poem mirror discusses the concepts of female identity and selfrepresentation. Apr 14, 2016 poem analysis video sylvia plath s mirror riyadh school high school international girls. Apr 19, 2019 welcome to the mirror by sylvia plath question and answers. Mirror 7 selfmirroring in the poetry of forugh farrokhzad 155 6 mirrors of. Sylvia plath was a great poetrist, her poems are also great for studying jokhan 262020 12. Sylvia plaths poem mirror is a reflection on what it means to be a woman uncertain of the future, haunted by the past. A mirror is an interesting choice for a speaker because, in real life, a mirror cant lie.
Reflections of self and other in sylvia plaths mirror imagery. Sylvia plath was an american poet best known for her novel the bell jar, and for her poetry collections the colossus and ariel. You died before i had time marbleheavy, a bag full of god, ghastly statue with one gray toe. Many of plaths poems deal with the complexities of defining womanhood and existing in a female space. A sensitive person who tended to be a bit of a perfectionist she was what many would consider a model daughter and student popular, a straight a student, always winning the best prizes. Written in firstperson point of view, the speaker is the mirror. Sylvia plath chooses a simple everyday object, a mirror in her mirror by sylvia plath. Sylvia plath biography, selected poems, related content the collected poems amazon parnassus powells. Pdf sylvia plaths mirror stands as an icon of seeing all objects true to its existence.
Sylvia plath was living in england with her fellow poet and husband, ted hughes, and she had already given birth to their first child, frieda. Daddy by sylvia plath poems academy of american poets. Mirror was written two years before plath committed suicide in 1963. Poem analysis video sylvia plaths mirror riyadh school high school international girls. So, from this line in the poem, we can guess that the mirror has seen mostly female faces, and that the poem is concerned with women and femininity. Brainstormfivethingsyouknowaboutmirrors,associatewith. An analysis of mirror by sylvia plath macy hogben college sylvia plaths mirror explores the impact of time on individuals, specifically within the realities of aging and losing beauty.
Like other poem of plath like soliloquy of solipsist, mirror also. In the poem mirror by sylvia plath, there is a continuing theme of change. The fact that the mirror is the voice and has the starring role is a little odd, but sylvia plath wanted to show just how powerful an object the mirror is in peoples lives. You could read the woman who visits the mirrorand whom the mirror judgesas plath, but thats not clear.
Especially in the 60s, when this poem was written, it would be unlikely for a boys bedroom or bathroom to be painted pink. Sylvia plath uses a unique blend of symbolism, imagery, and repetition to tell a story from the. The author of several collections of poetry and the novel the bell jar, sylvia plath is often singled out for the intense coupling of violent or disturbed imagery with the playful use of alliteration and rhyme in her work. Plath had an interest in the greek philosopher, plato, who records socrates teaching that poetry emanates from honeysprings honey being the food of the gods, and that the best poems are. The poem revolves around the truth of reflections in the life of an individual. Mar 02, 2020 sylvia plath was an american poet best known for her novel the bell jar, and for her poetry collections the colossus and ariel. Hence, although the narrators form has changed, its function hasnt.
The mirror watches a womans youth pass her by, and it appears that the woman gauges her worth based on what she sees. Poems study guide contains a biography of poet sylvia plath, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a. It explores and examines both the structure and content in a fillinthe blank format. You could read the woman who visits the mirror and whom the mirror judgesas plath, but thats not clear.
Poem and discussion questions pdf the poetry foundation. Whatever i see i swallow immediately just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike. What vocabulary words might you need to look up in this poem. Analysis of the poem mirror analyzing the works of sylvia.
This 2 page analysis worksheet of sylvia s plath s poem mirror follows the poem in chronological order. Mirror by sylvia plath question and answers short answer type questions. Jul 09, 20 this poem by sylvia plath symbolizes the troubled self of the woman, who has had to reject the given masks imposed on her by the patriarchal society and see herself as an individual. Sylvia plaths mirror explores the impact of time on individuals, specifically within the realities of aging and losing beauty.
Mirror is a free verse written by the american poet sylvia plath. Andrew has a keen interest in all aspects of poetry and writes extensively on the subject. Her novel, the bell jar, is strongly autobiographical, and her later poems, such as. It uses the titular mirror as its central symbolic device. She is credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry and is best known for two of her published collections, the colossus and other poems and ariel, as well as the bell jar, a semiautobiographical novel published shortly before her death. In this post, you can find some important questions from the chapter mirror. Apr 24, 2009 a mirror is an interesting choice for a speaker because, in real life, a mirror cant lie. Analysis of the poem mirror analyzing the works of. Plaths mirror that for sylvia plath, mirror holds great significance because the. Jul 31, 2016 in the second stanza, sylvia plath introduces a new element to the poem. Read the questions thoroughly and comment if you liked. Sylvia plaths mirror is a poem which deals intimately with the idea of women searching for distinctions between the real self and the false.
Welcome to the mirror by sylvia plath question and answers. According to clugston 2010 these are important components of poetry. Words such as swallow, meditate, and phrases such as part of my. Her books include the poetry collections the colossus, crossing the water, winter trees, ariel, and the collected poems, which won the pulitzer prize. Though the woman occasionally deludes herself with the flattering liars. Mirror by sylvia plath question and answers important. Reflections of self and other in sylvia plaths mirror. Mirror by sylvia plath is one of the great american lyrical poems. Sylvia plaths poem, mirror, symbolizes the troubled self of the woman, especially the woman artist who has to reject the given masks imposed on her by the. The first stanza talks from the viewpoint of a personified mirror. Additionally, explanations, interpretation, and figurative language are discussed. A short analysis of sylvia plaths mirror interesting. The unabridged journals of sylvia plath amazon parnassus powells. Analysis of the mirror by sylvia plath 1215 words 5 pages.
The mirror is a twostanza captivating and a highly personalized poem that was authored by sylvia plath in the 1960s as an exploration of the uncertain self. Pdf plaths mirror is an allseeing eye researchgate. Mar 27, 2020 sylvia plath 193263 was an american poet and novelist whose bestknown works explore the themes of alienation, death, and selfdestruction. She changes the narrator from the rectangular mirror, meditating on the opposite wall, to a lake. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from shmoop and verify that you are over the age of. More sylvia plath sign up for poemaday receive a new poem in your inbox daily. This includes a discussion of the poems general meaning, a linebyline analysis, and finishing on a note about the structure and historical context of the poem. She wrote in the poem, daddy, i was ten when they buried you. Sylvia plaths poem, mirror, symbolizes the troubled self of the woman, especially the woman artist who has to reject the given masks imposed on her by the patriarchal society and see herself as an artist and an individual. Now, have the class reread the poem with the students alternating reading lines aloud. Fascinating facts about sylvia plath literaryladiesguide.
In what sense does the speaker swallow whatever it sees. For thirty years, poor and white, barely daring to breathe or achoo. Similarly, plaths poem facelift also delves into the idea of her hating her. I dont have any preconceived notions and i absorb everything that comes my way. Sylvia plath poems poems of sylvia plath poem hunter. What is the theme of the poem mirror by sylvia plath. Students will select an object and write from its point of view, read mirror and discuss it, and use plaths poem as a model to create their own poem. In the last post, i wrote about mirror summary in hindi. Plath is credited with being a pioneer of the 20thcentury style of writing called confessional poetry. It appeared in plaths posthumously published collection crossing the water. Many of plath s poems deal with the complexities of defining womanhood and existing in a female space. In the poem, mirror, by sylvia plath, which can be read in full here, the mirror gives its own description and says that i am silver coloured and i am very accurate while reflecting the images of the objects that fall on my surface. Sylvia plath 193263 was an american poet and novelist whose bestknown works explore the themes of alienation, death, and selfdestruction. Two years after her death, ariel, a collection of some her last poems was published, that was followed by crossing the water and winter trees in 1971 and in 1981 the collected poems was published, edited by none other than ted hughes.
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