Analyze the poem to determine how the author uses point of view and figurative language to provide commentary on women in society.
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-Sylvia Plath
Mirror
I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions.
Whatever I see I swallow immediately
Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike.
I am not cruel, only truthful ‚
The eye of a little god, four-cornered.
Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall.
It is pink, with speckles. I have looked at it so long
I think it is part of my heart. But it flickers.
Faces and darkness separate us over and over.
Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me,
Searching my reaches for what she really is.
Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.
I see her back, and reflect it faithfully.
She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands.
I am important to her. She comes and goes.
Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness.
In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman
Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish.
Whatever I see I swallow immediately
Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike.
I am not cruel, only truthful ‚
The eye of a little god, four-cornered.
Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall.
It is pink, with speckles. I have looked at it so long
I think it is part of my heart. But it flickers.
Faces and darkness separate us over and over.
Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me,
Searching my reaches for what she really is.
Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.
I see her back, and reflect it faithfully.
She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands.
I am important to her. She comes and goes.
Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness.
In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman
Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish.
In the poem Mirror by Sylvia Plath, Plath comments on the role that women play in society. Plath states that women have a passive role in society, which will ultimately lead to their self-deterioration. The writer conveys her message to the reader through the use of a series of literary devices. In the beginning of the poem, Plath begins with a point of a view from a woman. Plath does not use a name to identify the woman: therefore, allowing the beginning statement of the poem to be reflective on any woman. Plath writes, “I have no preconceptions” (1). The woman feels as if she is not a woman of herself anymore because she doesn’t control her thinking of the past: she is hopeless and in despair. The use of a first person point of view from a woman shows the validity of Plath’s argument and allows the reader to see the truthfulness and rawness of the message the writer aims to convey. Later on in the poem, Plath transitions into the point of view of water to allow the reader to see the struggles of women in society from an outside standpoint. Plath writes, “Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me,/ Searching her reaches for what she really is” (10-11). Through the phrase ‘Now I am a lake,’ the writer is able to create a metaphor for the reader in order to compare the points of views of the woman and the water. The writer is able to create symbolism and personification from water to give validity to the point of view of the water. The symbolism of the water creates the tone of reflection in the reader. The water also offers rebirth, cleansing, and understanding to the woman because the woman continually goes to the lake day after day as a result of her problems. The water’s point of view offers a watchful analysis of the woman in the poem and the water is able to understand that the woman is in a predicament over the role she serves in society.
ReplyDeleteThe language and diction of the poem is very strong in conveying Plath’s commentary of women’s role in society to the reader. Through the language of the poem, it is apparent that the woman is distressed because she states, “I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions./ Whatever I see I swallow immediately/ Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike” (1-3). The woman states that she behaves exactly how she has been taught to be. The tone of the diction in the poem is of dismay and discontent. Plath utilizes literary devices to strengthen the effect that the poem’s language and diction has on the reader. Plath writes, “…and in me an old woman/ Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish” (17-18). The assonance of the words ‘rises’ and ‘like’ create a similar sound that causes the reader to acknowledge that this statement is important. In this statement, the writer created a simile to compare the situation of the woman to a fish. This comparison shows that the woman is slowly dying and deteriorating, just as a dead fish slowly float to the top of water as the gases and toxins are released from its body. Also, Plath conveys repetition when she states, ‘day after day.’ Plath synthesizes more repetition in the poem when she writes, “Faces and darkness separate us over and over,” (9). When Plath places repetition into her writing, it is an alert to the reader that the writer is trying to convey an important message, the role that woman play in society, because the writer took the extra time to repeat items for the reader.
Plath analyzed the predicament of women from an inside point of view and an outside point of view.Through the utilization of literary devices, Plath comments that women play a passive role in society and this passive role will cause the destruction of women. Plath believes that the passive role of women will cause women to abandon the true young version of themselves and adopt the identity of an old woman who doesn’t have the aspiration of their true selves. The role of women will cause women to lose hope and desire.
- Azap, R 2
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ReplyDeleteIn Sylvia Plath’s Mirror, the issues of truthfulness, repetition, and aging are addressed. The speaker of this poem is first that of a silver mirror and secondly a lake. Through both of these reflective surfaces, readers see the world. The mirror is depicted as “unmisted by love or dislike” (line 3) and “not cruel, only truthful” (line 4). This is later contrasted when the lake personifies both candles and the moon as “liars” (line 12). The moon could be untruthful because it doesn’t produce its own light, it reflects the light of the sun. Candles also provide a false light in times of darkness.
ReplyDeleteThe mirror sits opposite a pink speckled wall. It can be assumed that the mirror is located in a woman’s room, possibly a bedroom or bathroom. The mirror says that the pink speckled wall “is part of my heart” (line 8), and when both people and darkness enter the room, the mirror is pulled from its wall. The use of the term “separates” is very strong because it implies that the mirror is unhappy when people or darkness block the view of the wall. This word also groups humans and darkness as one, showing the mirror’s distaste for humankind.
In the second half of the poem, the lake is met by the same woman each morning. The lake has watched her grow old and turn away from her reflection. The claim that the mirror is truthful sets up a metaphor. As the woman grows older, she can no longer face the truth. She turns away to liars who continue to tell her that she’s beautiful when she sees who she really is. The woman “rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish” (line 18). This shows that the lake recognizes the disdain that the woman has for her looks. She continues to hope that she’ll look beautiful again one day, but always is meet by the ugly truth.
In personifying a mirror, Plath is creating a mirror character for the woman in the poem. The woman is aging as people come and go in her life, separating her from her ambitions and her morals. The mirror is a conscientious observer in this woman’s life, just as the woman is in her own. The woman must reflect the desired qualities that are expected of her in society. She can’t reach out and become something of herself because of the oppression on women in her time.
- Bahr S, period 2
Mirror by Sylvia Plath is a comment on women’s self-destruction and dependent habits on beauty caused by society. It is told through the perspective of a mirror which describes itself as “silver and exact” which the reader soon comes to realize is not entirely accurate (2). This can be taken as the mirror only shows exactly what it sees as a mirror does not have the ability to lie on physical traits. It only has the ability to reflect upon the person looking at it. In this case, the person is not a singular person but women as a whole. The mirror states that the room it is in is “pink, with speckles” which implies it being the room of a female, because pink is usually associated as a feminine color (7). This personification of the mirror being able to speak allows it to comment on the dependence women create on remaining physically beautiful.
ReplyDeleteInstead of focusing on the honest beauty within, the woman, who can be used to represent women as a whole, gazes into the mirror “searching my reaches for what she really is” (11). The woman is looking into a mirror as if it can tell her what kind of person she is based upon her physical perception of herself. However a mirror, even a personified one, does not have this ability. It shows women’s dependence on beauty which can be assumed to come from pressure by society. When the women is displeased with the honest reflection that she sees before her in the mirror, she cries and wrings her hands or turns to things that make her more attractive by use of shadows such as the moon (12-14). Her outward appearance plays such a crucial role that it ages her almost prematurely. The mirror describes it; “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman/Rises toward her day after day” (17-18). Through the constant judgment of herself, she has given in to the mirror by allowing it to become her only source of truth.
-McGregor M, Period 2
Mirror by Sylvia Plat utilizes first person point of view and figurative language to depict the stereotypical role of women in society.
ReplyDeleteFirst person point of view is used to show readers Plat’s own struggles against what society wants her to be. The woman’s name is not mentioned, indicates that events in Plat’s life inspired her to write her poem, Mirror. In line 1 she asserts that she is “silver and exact.” Sliver is a bright, valuable element that can oxidase and turn black over time. It is used as a metaphor for society’s views of women as subservient to men. By comparing herself to the element silver, Plat reveals that initially, like an element, she could not be broken down, but over time her oppressive environment caused her to change into something she is not. Society’s desire to make her an “acceptable” women caused her to hide her true desires and ideas. Like silver, she lost the unique inner shine that made her beautiful. This line symbolize her loss of confidence in herself and uncertainty towards what or who she truly is. However, over time Sylvia Plat rediscovers herself. She states that she is “a lake” (10), symbolizing the rebirth of knowledge and freedom that she has found. Unlike a piece of pure silver, which has exact boundaries and limitations in appearance, a lake’s appearance and composition can quickly change over time. There are many different types of lakes with diverse properties and organisms thriving because of the lake. The lake symbolizes a woman’s freedom to be who she wants to be, not what she is told she should be, because her ideas may bring forth innovations that can benefit society as a whole.
Plat’s social commentary on women in society is enhanced by her use of figurative language. Sylvia Plat depicts society’s view of women as gullible by stating “Whatever I see I swallow immediately” (2). She uses that words “swallow immediately” to show that women must blindly accept anything that they are told or they will be ridiculed by society. The fact that women are not expected to reason or question what they see reveals the traditional, yet stereotypical view that women cannot think for themselves, so they must do what their told because it is in their “best” interest. Women are often depicted as overly emotional and overly dramatic by society. Plat illustrates this when she states, “She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands” (14). In this context, the lake is personified as an active listener to the woman’s problems. A woman is crying and frantically gesticulating would not be seen as a reward. The juxtaposition in this line indicates that the woman actually feels relief from speaking about what is troubling her and from letting go of her negative feelings by crying. The woman does not want to appear overly dramatic so she hides her feelings from their loved ones and speak to the only thing that will actually pay attention to what she is saying … the lake.
A woman’s desire to be viewed as a productive member of society cannot be hidden. Sylvia Plat shows this by saying, “The eye of a little god, four-cornered” (5). Line 5 reveals that, like the reflection in a lake, God can see all of the dreams that women have and the problems they face. “Little god” is an oxymoron because God is portrayed as an almighty powerful being, little contradicts the great and powerful connotations associated with God. This was done to show readers how, like society, the bible and many other religious texts depict women as submissive to men. The role of women in society has changed throughout time, from being only wives to having their own careers, but society still tries to make women conform to their “traditional” roles.
-Judele C, period 2
In her poem “Mirror,” Sylvia Plath addresses the oppression of women in society using first person point of view, and figurative language. Beginning with her description of a mirror in first person, Plath implies that women in society are forced to be perfect- as if they were glass. She writes, “I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions” (1) in reference to the expectations put upon women to be unbiased over what they see. The lines “Whatever I see I swallow immediately” (2) and “Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike” (3) show that society expects women to accept things as they are given, ignoring their own feelings on the matter. By using first person point of view in this way, it gives readers insight to how Plath herself has experienced the pressure of being perfect in society’s eyes.
ReplyDeletePlath not only describes these expectations, but also the desire to be free of them. In the second verse, Plath now refers to herself as a lake. She writes of a woman “Searching in my reaches for what she really is” (11). This is referring to the desire to find oneself within the lies of perfection, which are described as “the candles or the moon” (12) in this poem. Plath mentions that the lake is important to this woman, likely because it is where she can find herself. However, the woman always turns back to society’s expectations. Because of this, it is said “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman/Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish” (17-18). By this, Plath comments on the inability the woman has to finally give up on society’s expectations of her. Instead of working towards her true self, she continues turning her back on the lake. Like this, the woman grows old, never truly finding herself.
Sylvia Plath uses this poem as commentary on the control society has over women’s roles, constantly restraining them from reaching their potential. Like this, women are forced through life, turning their back on the lake that holds what they really could be.
-Avery A, period 2
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ReplyDeleteSylvia Plaths’s commentary on women in society in her poem Mirror is that women have no real say in who they are. They are expected to be passive and accept what they are told. In lines one through three, Plath compares herself to a mirror: “I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions. Whatever I see I swallow immediately just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike”. A woman’s character is viewed only by appearance, and how well she fits or reflects what values a respectable woman is supposed to have. She is not supposed to have any depth to her character that has not been prescribed to her by someone else, and she is not supposed to think for herself. She is told to accept what she is told as the truth. This is the cause of the faults that Plath sees in herself; that she cannot fully allow herself to feel and to think outside the box she has been placed in. The “faces and darkness that separate us over and over” (9) is her preprogramed values and ideas conflicting with the idea to question what she is told. Any period of enlightenment that is brought about is shut away by faces and ideas from her past that push those new questions to the back of her mind and the accepted ideas back into place. This constant battle between what she’s told is right and what she questions is what causes that sense of hopelessness and confusion that is seen throughout the poem.
ReplyDeleteThe first sentence of the second stanza showsexactly how confused she is. She is drowning in her thoughts, unable to come to a conclusion. Plath writes “Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me, Searching my reaches for what she really is” (10-11). In order to find out who they are women must dive deep down and bring those buried questions to the surface, before they can begin to process anything. This woman who reaches into Plath’s depths is a version of herself who wants to find out who she is. She is the keeper of the keys to self- discovery, and Plath, just like any other person must embrace her before she can find anything out. The entire poem addresses how women are afraid to embrace the questions that they have regarding their life, until they cannot outrun them any longer. When specific events or everyday happenings drive their thoughts, they find that often they do not agree with what they were taught. They realize those accepted morals and ideas have killed their childhood self, and once that thought has been provoked, it will forever haunt them. They turned out the way they were because of how they were shaped. The question that haunts them day after day is then how would they have turned out otherwise. The fear that is placed on the question shows why women are afraid to question themselves as they usually cannot find any answer, and how their view of those accepted ideas change, leaving them to forge their own path. Which is something many are not comfortable with.
-Rachael Supina, 2 period
Sylvia Plath’s poem, Mirror, comments of the role of women in society. Plath is able to convey a message that ultimately shows the destruction of oneself. “I am silver and exact” (1). This diction creates the image that the woman has only ever behaved in the way she always has. She does not stray from the image a woman is to be seen in. “Whatever I see I swallow immediately, just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike” (2-3). This comment on women is powerful. The problem in society is that women are frequently seen quieting their opinions and views. Because of the harsh expectations of man, women do not feel as if they have to power to be their own person, have their own thoughts, or act in a different way than expected. They are subjected to realities of society. We see the cyclical nature of this in the second stanza of the poem. “She comes and goes. Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness” (15-16). Plath uses reflective objects in this piece to symbolize that women do not rely on the opinion of their own, but that they are dependent of seeing themselves over time through an outside view. “Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me, searching my reaches for what she really is” (10-11). A lake is one the most reflective and raw objects there is. Nothing is skewed. The woman is yearning to see an image she can be proud of. The woman is seen to be acting passively because she does not stay to view herself. “Then she turns to those liars, the candles of the moon” (12). She does not take control of what is destroying her. She merely returns to it. Her reflection brings her sadness because it is only portraying the years of destruction and agony she has bared. “She rewards me with tears and agitation of hands” (14). Women are seen to be innocent in their younger years. They reflect the happiness of childhood activities. Plath uses aging to show that over time, society’s hands reframe the idea of what it means to be a women. “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish” (17-18). The simile of the woman comparing to a terrible fish is showing that she is internal dyeing over time. The image of the young girl drowns and dies in the lake and is replace with the reflection of the current woman’s state, older and used. When a fish is rising toward the surface it is no longer living. It is not able to swim in its own path or fulfill its own ideas. It is forced to live with the consequences of society’s damaging effects and ultimately returns lifeless.
ReplyDeleteThe woman in this poem can be seen as a universal symbol to all women. She is nameless and is able to represent all aspects. The first person point of view Plath uses in the first stanza effects readers on a more personal level. The female audience is able to build a connection based on the idea that this is a personal account. Plath then changes to a point of view of an object in the second stanza. “Now I am a lake” (10). This reiterates Plath’s concept that women rely on outside reflections to view their own deterioration. By telling the story from lakes perspective we can get to know the reality of what the women does. She looks at the water, sees her reflection, and turns away. This relates to the passive tone used previously in the poem.
Plath connects the audience to the harsh realities that society has placed over women. The commentary of how women are to act shows destruction internally and reflects the idea of what this does to the women in society. They are not able to leave the image which results in their own downfall.
Cika, M 2
Sylvia Plath personifies a mirror in order to comment on women’s self-image. She expresses the anger that women feel when they look in a mirror and see a person that is often older, wider, or more blemished than they feel they actually are. However, Plath notes “Whatever I see I swallow immediately / Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike” (2-3). Not only is the mirror a perfect reflection of what stands before it, it also reflects the inner-feelings of that person as well. Plath notes, “I am not cruel, only truthful” (4). This statement reflects the feelings that women have when they look at themselves in the mirror. Society has led women to believe that what they see in the mirror is a cruel punishment. In the eyes of society, women are never thin enough or pretty enough. There are unrealistic expectations about what is considered beautiful. The wall that the mirror rests on is pink with speckles; a representation of a woman’s deteriorating skin (6). As women age, they find it necessary to cover their age-spots in order to remain within the bounds of beauty.
ReplyDeleteIn the second stanza, Plath personifies a lake in order to reiterate the points she made earlier. A woman looks over a lake each morning, and “rewards [the lake] with tears and an agitation of hands” (14). Plath’s word choice communicates the frustration felt by the woman. The 'agitation’ of the hands expresses the woman’s feeling of defeat. Every day, the woman watches herself age in the reflection of the lake. Although ageing is a natural process, society condemns older women and says that all women must look youthful in order to be happy. The woman, a representation of all women, sees her older image as a “terrible fish” (18). This statement holds a negative connotation of women’s self-image. Another notable aspect of the poem is Plath’s statement that “I am important to her” (15). In a time where there are more important matters at hand, women still find their beauty to be above all else. The woman visits the lake every day to see herself, despite the anger she feels when she visits. The woman’s image is not important because she cares, but because she knows that others will judge her if she does not fit within the mold society has created. Overall, Plath shows that in society, women are forced to conform to the norms that have come to be accepted as beauty. If not, they will ultimately be angry at themselves and unhappy with their lives.
- M, Ryan 2nd
Megan Lear (2nd Period)
ReplyDeleteThe piece Mirror by Sylvia Plath depicts, like many of Plath's very controversial and interesting works, a very strong and rare commentary on our society and on the viewpoints of/towards specific groups. In this particular work, Plath likens herself to that of a mirror: an unbiased, direct mirror that speaks to the appearance of women in society, not only from their own view, but that of others as well. The piece in its entirety works to display a viewpoint of female self-esteem and self-image, and how this vision changes.
To begin, we must first analyze Plath's piece. The prominent extended metaphor in the piece consists of Plath explaining herself as a mirror and analyzing what, or how the mirror sees. In the beginning lines of the first stanza, we see the mirror as unbiased and uninfluenced. For instance in lines 1-4, diction such as "silver", "exact", "as it is", "unmisted" and "truthful, not cruel" are used to describe the work of the mirror. These words work together to build the theme that the mirror does not see women through specific filters, nor does it present them as such. Instead, the mirror sees every woman for what she is, in a pure, unaffected ideal. Additionally, this continues with the allusion to "little god" (5). God, at least what most religions perceive it as, is an all-powerful being that overlooks stereotypes, or the flaws that are concocted by human desire. As the mirror refers to itself as "little god", we see the symbolism of its unbiased, almost divine view of humans for what they are, without preconceptions.
With this initial perception of appearance, the second stanza dissolves us deeper into the meaning of the poem. It begins by referring to itself as a lake and how women "bend over it" (10). Once again, lakes have reflections, and water symbolizes purity and impartiality. However, when saying "A woman bends over me" (10), there is an interesting switch in tone. The piece now becomes focused on women, and their reliance on appearance or the need to see and judge themselves. Continuing, this desperation becomes more and more prevalent in line 11. The diction used such as "searching" and "reaching" depicts this exact need. Also in this section, we see the foil to the mirror, these being "the moon" and "candles" (12). These two items, both creating of light, symbolize the negativity and the shedding of biased, human flaw on women. The effects of this are "tears and agitation" (14), which show the true, life-degrading impact on women. In this part, the last couple lines of the second stanza, the tone, or point of view really do some interesting things. It goes from this empowerment of the mirror, to the showing of the female dependence, and then finally to how this dependence, agitation and fear lasts a lifetime. In the last two lines of the piece, the symbolism of the lake and the female perception come full circle. Plath utilizes the word drowning to express the suppression and "the death" or aging of the young woman into the old woman. She closes saying as we age, looking in the mirror, seeing ourselves "like that of a terrible fish" (18), we begin to hate or lose ourselves. Overall, the piece shows the lifelong dependence on the appearance of females and their attractive desire. And how from young to old, we rely on self-image to make sense of our world and how our world makes sense of us. However, as we age, we lose yourself and our capacity out of the lack of esteem.
Lear, Megan 2nd
After reading Mirror by Sylvia Plath, the first piece of information to understand is what time period Plath lived in. She lived during the post- World War II era, when massive reform was taking place. Of these reforms, the push for equality among gender was eminent. Plath uses the point of view of a mirror and figurative language in Mirror to mirror a woman’s state of being during the time period she lived.
ReplyDeleteThe first indication that Mirror focuses on a woman’s role in society is the mirror’s description of what it sees: “It is pink… But it flickers” (line 7-8). The color pink is archetypal of femininity. While it is not known at that line what specifically the mirror sees, the reader is compelled to think of something regarding a woman. Through the point of view of the mirror, however, the pink embodies weakness. The flickering that the mirror perceives reflects the undermining of a woman in Plath’s society. While women are recognized in society, they are not valued. They are not able to maintain the constant shine of eminence that they deserve in society.
The second paragraph further deviates from any form of positivity that may have been held by the reader in the first paragraph. The point of view becomes much more significant as the mirror is personified, and the reader can now see what the mirror reflects back to the woman: “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman/Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish” (line 17-18). This final statement by the mirror sums up the seemingly hopelessness of women in society. The statement is tortuous. Every time a woman evaluates herself, she is forced to except her static nature. Her value as a little girl stagnates for the rest of her life. Neither has she changed, nor will she change. The verb “drowned” and the simile “like a terrible fish” produce violent imagery; the ranking of women has been killed by society and killed itself because of women’s inability to be treated as equals in society.
Plath shows both sympathy and disappointment for the disgruntled state of women in society. While she feels that women deserve better treatment and regard from society, women are the ones that must initiate this change. If they do not, they must accept their passive roles in society.
Srivastava, R 2
Sylvia Plath’s “Mirror” utilizes a mirror’s first person point of view in order to provide a fresh perspective on the issues of aging, societal expectations, and self-image. The poem addresses societal expectations by stating, “I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions. /Whatever I see I swallow immediately/ Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike” (1-3). This statement reflects on how the mirror shows only the truth, it is not influenced by prejudice or societal trends. The mirror shows how things are, not how it is thought they should be.
ReplyDeleteThis truth is hard to expect as is shown by, “I see her back, and reflect it faithfully. She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands. I am important to her” (13-15). This excerpt shows how the woman is disappointed by her reflection as it is not society’s version of “pretty”. Yet, she is still constantly obsessing over her image as it says that she “comes and goes” and that she returns each morning to critique herself. This woman bases who she is as a whole on her appearance, as though her physical attributes define her as a person. Each day she looks at her reflection, “Searching my [the mirror’s] reaches for what she really is” (11). This is Plath’s comment on society’s obsession with vanity and self-image and the impossible standards it holds women to.
Plath also addresses the hardships of aging in this poem. She writes, “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman/Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish” (17-18). This excerpt portrays a woman’s struggle with age. Each day new wrinkles appear and her looks fade, and in a vain society as addressed in earlier parts of the poem, this is extremely difficult to deal with. Plath also uses figurative language to show the difficult the woman has in aging through a simile. She compares the older reflection each day to a “terrible fish”. This comparison shows that the woman’s aging is always lurking beneath the surface, coming closer and closer each day.
-Harris S, 2nd period
Sylvia Platt’s poem Mirror takes a closer look at the struggles that circulate around women and the pressure of different beliefs held by society. From the beginning of the poem, it is noted that a mirror personified with different human actions represents the speaker. Platt’s description stating, “Whatever I see I swallow immediately” (2) demonstrates that anything put in the mirrors way will be reflected. Although the mirror is not a living object and cannot “swallow” anything, the description supports one of the mirrors biggest traits, being reflective. Platt also states, “I am not cruel, only truthful” (4), demonstrating how in a way, a mirrors doesn’t sensor itself and always gives an accurate representation of what is reflected. Platt then states how the main character meditates on the opposite wall, which is scene as purposely avoiding the truth that the mirror represents. Platt also uses the words “pink” and “speckles” (7), which helps the reader infer that the main character is female. The last line in the first stanza states, “Face and darkness separates us over and over.” (9). The use of “darkness” and “separate” conveys a dark and negative tone. The tone reflects how strong the relationship between the pink wall and the mirror are, while at the same time, demonstrates the power of separation.
ReplyDeleteIn the second stanza, the mirror takes the roll of a lake, and expresses how a woman is kneeling at the shores of the body of water. Platt states that the lady is, “Searching my reaches for what she really is” (11). This represents how the woman is not confident in how she sees herself and is relying on the reflections from the lake to give a good description. When Platt refers to the “liars, the candles or the moon” (12) she is bringing up the fake sources of light that provides a sense of warmth. When the woman turns to the fake light, she ultimately turns from the lake. She does not commit to the lake, but only comes back when she needs help from the source of water. Platt states that, “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman” (17). This shows that her spirit and heart has hardened. She can still come back to the lake, but the time she spends there means nothing. If her heart and soul is not dedicated to the lake, there is nothing she can gain.
Platt’s poem demonstrated how woman and other figures in society view themselves in different situation. The use of personification and small similes gave a different dimension to the poem and changed the reader’s angle on the situation. Although the story is centered on a feministic point of view, the audience for the piece can be the whole human population. Platt also picked words that would create a barrier between positive and negative connotation. Using words like “separate” and “darkness” verses “pink”, “speckles”, and “light” gave to different sides to the poems. Overall, Mirrors demonstrates the struggle of self-appearance in a creative way. Platt used many literary devices to strengthen her argument and demonstrate how a woman can be herself and not match the characteristics of the world she is living in.
Wasylko, G 7/8
In her poem Mirror, Sylvia Plath chooses to represent a mirror as both an actual mirror on a wall and water’s reflection on a lake. She utilizes the mirror’s own point of view to express sadness for women in society having to watch themselves age.
ReplyDeleteWomen in today’s society are always looking for approval of their physical appearance by ways of men or magazines to compare themselves to models. Plath comments that a woman continuously comes to see her reflection in the lake, “I am important to her. She comes and goes. Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness” (Plath 15-16). With each passing day the woman ages but the mirror does not show her how she is turning into an old woman out of cruelty. The mirror says, “I am not cruel, only truthful” (Plath 4). Women look to the mirror as something to show them how beautiful they are but are more often than not horrified or displeased with what they see. With women so dependent on a truthful object, they never seem to realize that they do not need a mirror to show them their beauty. This also is shown in the fact that the mirror ends up also being a lake. Lakes are thought of as peaceful and beautiful, something that the lake cannot see for itself. This is like the woman needing a mirror to see her own beauty. With the mirror being where the story has its point of view the reader sees that all a mirror can do is show what is already there, nothing more and nothing less. It dismisses the thought of them being cruel and replaces it with truthfulness. The mirror speaks about being “the eye of a little god, four-cornered” (Plath 5). Only the object itself would ever have thought that about what a mirror actually is because women today see a mirror as the enemy in the war against their ongoing aging that they make a futile attempt to stop.
Aging is something that does not just happen immediately, shown figuratively when Plath says, “In me she has drowned a young girl” (Plath 17). Drowning is not an instant death; it is something that takes time which is why it is a horrible way to die. In this case, the mirror is comparing the woman’s aging to dying. To women in society aging is losing your beauty and your appeal, a sort of social death in today’s eyes. When the mirror says, “A woman bends over me, searching my reaches for what she really is” (Plath 10-11), it is saying that the woman seeks approval in something that can only show her what she really is on the outside, not the inside. This use of personification of the lake, or mirror, gives a new perspective as well as a gloomy tone because the mirror feels bad for the woman who has to go through the aging process. At the end, the mirror even goes as far as saying that “an old woman rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish” (Plath 17-18). When the reader sees the word fish grotesque thoughts of fish heads at a market or the beady, dead eyes they have comes to mind, giving the old woman an even worse appearance than she may have. Women in society look at themselves in the mirror and see every bad thing about them, not the fact that they are more beautiful than they think.
Dame, E 2
Mirror by Silvia Plath depicts the role of women in society. It depicts how society can shape how women view themselves and their dependency on beauty.
ReplyDeleteThe quote, “I am not cruel, only truthful” (Plath 4), is meant to show how the mirror is not biased, it doesn't judge a person. The mirrors purpose is to reflect what it sees. It differs from society because society does not reflect, it is judgmental and cruel. The mirror, which stays in the same place, rarely glimpsing a face besides the woman, sits opposite to a pink speckled wall. Which, is characterized as a feminine color. The use of the color shows further how society pushes women to be a certain way. Plath personifies the mirror, although mirrors can't have feelings it brings to life what the mirror witnesses in front of it. As the mirror changes into the lake it tells what it sees in the woman and how it watches her grow old.
In the second stanza of the poem, the mirror has changed to a lake. The way Plath says, “A woman bends over me” (Plath 10), instead of using “I” or “the woman” generalizes it so it can relate to all women in society. The quote, “Searching my reaches for what she really is” (Plath, 11), shows that societal pressures on women can change who they really are and for some women they begin to lose themselves in pretending they are someone else.
In the last two lines of the poem it says, “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman
Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish” (Plath 15-16). The mirror has watched the woman grow and change. The young girl that she used to be is long gone, changed by society. It depicts that when she was young she would look in the mirror and change herself, conforming to what society views women as instead of just being herself. In the last line, Plath uses very descriptive diction, “like a terrible fish”. This is supposed to represent that the woman is disgusted by what she sees in the lake's reflection everyday. She symbolizes it as a terrible fish because when a fish dies it rises to the surface, it smells from the decay and that is how the woman now views herself as from years of conforming to society.
Gall, 2
Sylvia Plath’s poem, The Mirror, explains how women either believe society sees them or how women want society to see them. The poem is continually in first person from the point of view of the mirror. The mirror being society. Plath starts off in the first stanza by stating how society is perceived as seeing women by saying, “I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions” (1). Being silver, exact, and without preconceptions is not just a description of a mirror. Silver can be a connotation of feminine energy-giving society the role of understanding and love for women. However, what is intended is almost sarcastic due to the lies of how the mirror feels. Society is in no way unprejudiced and exact. To create a better understanding of Plath’s view point she writes, “Whatever I see I swallow immediately Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike. I am not cruel, only truthful” (2-4). Society is being depicted as supposedly true and clear to what it sees without prejudice of the heart or mind. By writing as if society was one being, explaining to women it’s views, it makes the argument seem stronger that society almost indifferent to women. Indifferent in a sense that is not society not caring, but that society reflects to women on how they show themselves without stereotyping. Yet, this whole poem is meant to show how society is a fraud trying to control women by making them believe the only way acceptance is achieved is through societies’ ‘truth’.
ReplyDeleteSociety as a whole is being portrayed as a whole in this poem, however, there are different views when broken down into sub-societies. Plath realizes and uses this view of others to change the misconception of the meaning in the first stanza. She does this by writing, “Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon. I see her back, and reflect it faithfully” (12-13). Remembering that this whole poem is from society’s point of view as a whole, those liars are being referred to as a part of a very small sub-society. This group is referred to as candles or the moon because they stand for goodness and hope. Plath is trying to explain how women look towards hope to find that unlabeled view of themselves but are always dragged back by society to a place of pain and emotional suffering. By using words usually associated with encouraging meanings such as “truthful” (4) “meditate” (6) “lake” (10) “faithfully” (13) and “rises” (18), Plath is attempting to juxtapose the way society is seen by women and the reality behind it all. Society is saying that women are not good enough physically and therefore this idea creates this unending conflict women go through to try and love themselves without giving in to societies’ ‘perfect image’ banter.
Sarah Palmer 7/8
In Sylvia Plath’s poem “Mirror,” she addresses the the stereotypical role that women are placed into in society. She shows this through multiple literary devices.
ReplyDeleteWomen are forced to feel like they must be perfect in every way. Plath uses a metaphor of a mirror in the first half of the poem. She writes, “I am silver and exact” (1). Although this mirror tries to be perfect, exact, and truthful, it is disturbed by entities that separate it from the wall that is its across from it. Society makes women notice their imperfections and this can affect women tremendously. Women look up to models and photoshopped pictures that lead them to believe that they themselves are nothing in comparison. Plath writes, “Whatever I see I swallow immediately/Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike” (2-3). Women are expected to accept all criticism and oppression that they are given. They try their best to make themselves perfect or beautiful, but their efforts are never enough for society.
Plath creates a second metaphor using a lake, but this time she describes a woman she sees that is oppressed instead of being the oppressed woman. She writes, “A woman bends over me,/Searching my reaches for what she really is” (10-11). The woman who searches in the water has grown older and lost her beauty and youth. As her beauty deteriorates, so does her happiness and mental well being as society begins to reject her.
Plath uses diction and descriptive language to give her poem a more powerful meaning. Instead of simply saying that the woman has grown older, she writes, “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman/ Rises toward her day after day...” (17-18). This use of language has a more influential impact on the reader. The woman’s old self and her physical beauty were drowned, killed, and removed from her completely. What society has made important for women has now become a nightmare for the women in the poem. With the use of such strong diction, the reader is able to understand how devastating the loss of youth is for this woman.
Plath’s use of first person point of view makes the poem personal and connects the struggles in the story to the poet. In the first half of the poem she speaks of her own role that was bestowed upon her as an individual woman in society. She writes, “I have no preconceptions” (1). Society has already tried to make Plath into what it believes every woman should be; a beautiful object. Women start off with the idea that they are supposed to be what society has already decided for them. Plath then says that she is a lake that reflects another woman’s reflection. Plath writes, “Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness” (16). She sees other women around her suffering because they were placed in the same roles that she had been forced into. Plath herself has recognized this stereotype by noticing what affects her personally as well as what affects the women around her. She shows it is not only a struggle for an individual but for an entire group of people.
Plath’s use of literary devices and point of view helped to make an impactful poem regarding the stereotypical role women have settled into. Society forces the idea of beauty on a woman to a point where women believe that is all that is important to them. Plath shows distaste for this through her descriptive diction. She also shows the reader through first person that she has experienced society’s obsession with a woman’s image. Because women are forced into this role, they will try to please others and lose themselves in the process.
Hornung, A. 7/8
Sylvia Plath’s “Mirror” provides a unique perspective on what societal expectations and age do to a woman over time. The point of view is interesting in this one, with Plath choosing the mirror as the speaker. Plath says “I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions/Whatever I see I swallow immediately/Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike” (1-3). This quote is relevant because the only way that the girl can see herself as she is, without any bias or outside influences, is when she is looking in the mirror. That is a commentary on how society treats women and “image dependent” women are. And when Plath says “Whatever I see I swallow immediately” (2), that plays into the idea of vanity, that one is swallowed by vanity when looking into the mirror, just as society asks her to; after all, it is all about appearance. Furthering the idea that image is important, Plath calls the mirror, “…a little God” (4), which solidifies the emphasis on appearance.
ReplyDeleteThe second part of this poem shows a shift in tone; from here on out, it is a much sadder piece. Plath, right at the beginning says “Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me/Searching my reaches for what she really is.” (10-11). What Plath is trying to do is show that women try to find themselves, and find who they are through how they look, and that is why the lady that comes to the lake everyday does that, she is trying to find herself. Plath, later in the piece, says “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman” (17), which is particularly powerful because this lady has been coming to the lake for years, just to try to figure herself out and find who she is outside of what she is expected to be, and has aged and still never figured it out. Overall, Plath is saying that our culture puts too much of an emphasis on beauty, and it tears women apart whilst they try to figure out who they aside from what they look like on the outside.
Crow, M, 7/8
In her poem Mirror, Sylvia Plath probes the idea of reflection and how it relates to women’s image in society. Through her use of figurative language and manipulation of point of view, Plath illuminates the need of women to look outward rather than inward for comfort, approval, and self-awareness. Plath employs the metaphor, “Now I am a lake,” (10) to represent an honest reflection. Lakes are generally associated with purity and integrity, and Plath plays upon this to make the statement that women must view themselves through a lens untainted by the outside world. The lake reflects the woman looking into it with all her depth intact. It is nature’s mirror – honest and uncorrupted. In the next line, Plath describes candles and the moon as “liars” (12) because they shed light upon their subjects. Whether candlelight or moonlight, the implication is that they cast a false image and lead women to have untrue conceptions of themselves. The lake, by contrast, reveals women for what they really are rather than what they seem to be in certain lights. This section speaks to how women are told to believe only in reflections of themselves. They often take mirror images on face value and think that what they see in that mirror encases their entire selves – that their existence does not go beyond the confines of a four-cornered mirror. Women sometimes find it difficult to look inward for answers and so instead project their value and worth onto tangible objects. It is particularly destructive when these objects degrade and emphasize the value of certain traits and qualities over others. Whether through magazines, societal standards of beauty, or simply other people, women are constantly judging their worth for how they are seen and portrayed by the world.
ReplyDeletePlath weaves the voice of the mirror with the image of a woman looking into it. This is important because the use of the word “I” only would have led it to be a personal poem, and it’s not – it’s a commentary on all women. Plath wanted to ensure that her readers would be able to step into the shoes of both the narrator and the woman described – to realize that they are both the reflection and the physical body, and cannot be limited to seeing themselves in only one way. This poem is told through the point of view of a mirror speaking of those it reflects. It is in this way that Plath can talk directly to the women seeking value and self-awareness in image. Age as it is attached to beauty also plays an important role in Mirror. Plath writes, “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman / Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish” (17-18). This simile illuminates the idea that value is attached to youth and beauty, and as women grow older, they are stripped of that value. Plath splits the elements of young and old into separate manifestations, and the way she handles each speaks to how society views women based on which category they fall into. The choice of the word “terrible” to describe an old woman illuminates how the world focuses on the exterior rather than the interior, and the description of drowning a young girl suggests that women experience a sort of death and loss as they grow older. Overall, Plath exposes society to be a tainted medium through which women are forced to look at themselves – a medium that imposes standards of beauty and assigns worth only to those who meet those standards.
Keller N, 7/8
The poem Mirror, by Sylvia Plath, addresses the struggle women have involving their self-appearance, and that their desires for a perfect image will lead to their self-corruption. Plath uses a mirror and a lakes point of view, giving personification and first person. By using reflection, Plath makes the image of women, honest. The mirror in the room states that, " I am not cruel, only truthful," ( Plath 4). This shows that the mirror is unbiased, it's fair and always showing what one really is. It shows all, and sees all, thus making it, "the eye of a little god, four-cornered," ( Plath 5). This honesty presented, is resented by women within society. They want to look good in the mirror, it's a natural mindset. The relationship of the mirror and the pink wall indicate that the woman who owns sleeps in the room, looks into the mirror too often, the mirror itself states that, "faces and darkness separate us over and over," (Plath 9). Constantly looking into the mirror, finding the honesty that is rejected to the one facing it. The one looking into the mirror constantly can be society as a whole, and their obsession for appearances.
ReplyDeleteThe second part of the poem presents a very raw perspective of appearances, with its uses of violent word choices and the visual descriptions within the poem. Now a lake has been the reflection, rather than the mirror, but still it is often visited by a woman. "A woman bends over me," (Plath 10). This is significant because it shows how obsessed society is when it comes to appearances. Usually a mirror is the most common and normal way to see a reflection, but a lakes reflection? A lake is to swim, boat, and fish in, not to analyze one’s self appearance. The woman's, "tears and an agitation of hands," (Plath 14) shows the visual reaction of looking into a mirror. It also shows how cruel society has come to be nowadays; with one inflicting self-judgment, terrified of what others will say about them. Eventually Plath believes that society can destroy its innocence in order to look better for others, thus explaining the line, "she has drowned a young girl. (Plath 17). The perfection of appearances will be the downfall of society, and the innocence will be the first to go, like how the young girl was metaphorically drowned. The message and warning of Mirror is strong and personal overall
Turnea, D 2nd period
In her poem titled Mirror, Sylvia Plath personifies a mirror to portray how women consume themselves in mirrors, trying to please society and hoping to find perfection. Plath begins her poem by using a mirror as the narrator. The mirror tries to build its reputation by telling the reader that it is very truthful and not judgmental. It says, “Whatever I see I swallow immediately / Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike” (2-3). These lines show that the mirror is not influenced by societal views. It does not care about how other people view the person. Plath uses a metaphor when the mirror compares itself to a “little god” (5). Due to the fact that all gods are known to be ingenuous, this metaphor further shows how the mirror is honest with what it reflects.
ReplyDeleteIn the second stanza, the mirror is transformed into a lake. This second part of the poem can be viewed as an allusion to the Greek myth of Narcissus. Narcissus became obsessed with looking at himself in the mirror; in Mirror, a woman looks into the water, searching for herself. Unlike Narcissus, though, the woman does not fall in love with her reflection. She becomes very disappointed in what she sees and “Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon” (12). Candles and the moon are personified as liars because their light does not hold truth like the mirror does. When a woman stands near candles or under the moon, her flaws become masked. The woman turns to these liars to feel better about herself in a society where beauty is a great deal. When the woman goes back to the mirror, though, she is shown her unaltered face and “…rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands” (14). This part of the poem describes how women may attempt to hide their flaws—in modern times they use makeup and filters on pictures—but when they return to the mirror in the bright lighting of the room, they see their natural faces.
The mirror knows that it is important to the woman, because she keeps returning to it. The mirror says, “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me and old woman / Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish” (17-18). Plath uses a simile here to compare the aging of the woman to a ‘terrible fish’. Due to the fact the the mirror claims it is unbiased, it is very likely that the mirror is stating the woman’s own views about her age. The youth that the woman once had is being replaced by old age. The fish and the woman may both have similar features: a mouth with no teeth, unattractive and bald, and even unable to breathe properly. All women want to stay youthful and free of wrinkles. They spend money on procedures such as facelifts and surgeries to make sure that no one thinks of them as old and ugly. Plath is commenting on how instead of looking forward to old age, which should carry wisdom and respect from younger people, women become horrified and think they will be looked down upon by society.
Patel, D 2
Using the point of view of a mirror is a metaphor for how judgmental society is of a women’s looks. The mirror makes no judgments on what it sees; it simply exists and observe. The judgment comes from the woman when she looks within. The mirror reflects what it sees, and what it sees is her own dissatisfaction. As long as she believes she is imperfect, they is what it will show her. It is the same with society: “A women bends over me, / Searching my reaches for what she truly is” (lines 10-11). As long as any woman believes she is inferior, the others around her will “reflect” it. Each new age has its own concept of beauty; as soon as women believe they are not up to that standard, they will see another with more of this beauty walking down the street and realize they will never be like them. In this way, society influences what women do and don’t do: “The eyes of a little god, four-cornered” (line 5). If society says that something will make a woman more beautiful, they will usually crawl hand and knee to get to it; they are under the power of their own self-loathing, but reflected back at them tenfold.
ReplyDeleteThe poem also directly states that the mirror is a lake at the beginning of the second stanza. This is an allusion to the myth of Narcissus, who was cursed to become mesmerized by the image of himself in a lake. He could not even tear himself away to eat and eventually wasted away. This shows how obsessive a woman can become over how she looks, instead of becoming what she dreams she could be. When we are children we usually have something that we wish to do when we grow up, but then we have other people tell us the reasons we can’t do that. Because of society’s reflection that women should be beautiful, when someone dashes the dream, they choose to bury the disappointment and the shame in what society considers acceptable: “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old women / Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish” (lines 17-18). The second half of this quote refers to the end result of this downward spiral. Having finally realized she cannot find happiness in just her look, the women try to return to their old dream. But it’s too late. Old age is coming to take them; they have missed their chance, and therefore can only continue the routine they have been doing for years, and wait for death to end their pointless existence.
Maslach, K 2
Sylvia Plath comments on women’s opinion of themselves in society and how caring about appearances leads to a life without meaning. These concepts are expressed throughout the poem Mirror.
ReplyDeleteThe woman being described in the second stanza of the poem shows how she knows nothing other than what she sees through her reflection, “I am important to her. She comes and goes” (15). The lake only shows the truth and the woman knows this, but despite this knowledge, she continuously comes back to the lake and looks at her reflection hoping something has changed. Going along with the woman hoping something changes between trips to the lake, in a previous line Plath makes a blatant comment about women’s appearances, “Searching my reaches for what she really is” (11). This line in Mirror shows that the woman is more than what is reflected on the surface; the woman even looks in the lake hoping her personality will be reflected back instead of her appearance. This comment from Sylvia Plath expresses a desire for women to realize that they are more than what a lake or a mirror is able to show them. There are things out of a mirror’s reach that make up what women are. The alternating points of view from the feelings of the lake to the feelings of the woman reflected by the lake make Sylvia Plath’s commentary on women in society shine through.
One major instance of symbolism throughout Mirror occurs on lines 7-9, “It is pink with speckles. I have looked at it so long/ I think it is part of my heart. But it flickers/ Faces and darkness separate us over and over” (7-9). The idea of a pink speckled wall introduces readers to the commentary on women in society by expressing a typical female color with hatred, “faces and darkness separate us.” Sylvia Plath also discusses the mirror believing the pink speckled wall to be a part of its heart, showing how women take societal values and think they are their own when the women do not fully believe in the values. Mirror also speaks about women’s typical views of society, “Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon/ I see her back and reflect it faithfully” (12-13). Although the candles and the moon are inanimate objects, the lake refers to them as liars because they provide the woman with a false sense of beauty (romantic walks under moonlight or candlelit dinners). Sylvia Plath introduces and describes multiple points on a typical woman’s role in society and how women do not challenge these roles.
- Bolger J, period 2
The poem “Mirror” by Sylvia Plath comments upon women in society and the standards they are meant to uphold using a unique point of view and figurative language. Plath wrote the poem from the point of view of the mirror, which shows only the truth. Women come to her to seek comfort, to “[search] my reaches for what she really is” (11). Plath is stating that women will take comfort in the truth, when that is all that is left. In today’s day and age, there is so much pressure put on women from society to act a certain way, to dress a certain way, and to look a certain way. It is difficult to get past these ideas of what women are “supposed to be” and find the truth, which only a mirror can tell, for “[It] [has] no preconceptions” (1). A woman’s reflection can see what others cannot: it can see what pains her, what deep secrets she holds. Plath states, “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman / rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish” (18). The woman has looked in the mirror, day after day, and this has aged her; she has abandoned the young girl she once was in place for an older version, one who has been beaten down by the standards of which she could no longer uphold. The mirror is able to reflect what is in the soul, even when the face is smiling.
ReplyDeleteFigurative language plays a large role in this poem as well. The personification of the mirror is what really drives the poem forward, what makes it unique. Plath uses metaphors, such as “the eye of a little god” (5), to show that the mirror is omniscient, that is sees everything, much deeper than what is on the surface. Her diction in the second stanza in very powerful when she says, “then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon” (12). The word “liar” has a very powerful connotation, and the tone instantly becomes harsher, almost bitter. However, she brings it right back to a peaceful calm in the next line, stating, “I reflect it faithfully” (13). Additionally, her use of a simile at the very end of the poem is impactful in that she compares waiting for the woman to become old to a “terrible fish.” This shows how women have been told to fear aging, to want to be young forever, and now that this woman has surrendered her innocence to society, she can only wait in fear for old age to come to her, like a monster.
I think it is very interesting that “Mirror” was written in 1961, however the societal pressure on women has not changed. Perhaps, at this time, Plath saw herself as the woman looking in the mirror, being 31 herself and feeling that pressure to stay young forever. I think this poem serves as a warning to women, not to be drawn in by the so-called “importance of beauty” and to see what they want to see in themselves, not what society wants them to be.
--Dushek, K 2˚
Plath’s poem Mirror engages in a very strong on women’s roles in society as being very submissive and alike. These characteristics of women that is portrayed eventually lead to the destruction of their entire well-being. Plath comments on this through the use of multiple literary devices and through the point of view of the mirror and lake.
ReplyDeleteThe mirror, being one of the narrators in this piece, is "not cruel, only truthful" (line 4) meaning that whatever is seen is the truth. A mirror is a very reflective object, and in this case it acts as the beholder of truth to the real world. When a woman looks into a mirrror, she sees herself as mirror presents her whether she likes it or not. In society, women play the roles that they are "supposed" to play and become what the world wants them to become regardless if it is what they want. The mirrror is placed upon a wall and faces a pink wall opposite of it. Due to its constant view of this pick wall, it thinks that the wall is part of its heart. However, there are times when "faces and darkness separate us over and over" (line 9) pulling the mirrror away from its heart. Women are constantly pulled away from who they truly are to portray the mask that society wants them too. The mirror becomes a metaphor for women and how society views them.
When the the point of view is switched over to that of a lake, a woman that visits the lake each day to look at her reflection becomes a part of the poem. This woman looks at herself every day "searching my reaches for what she really is" (line 11) only until she "turns to those liars, the candles or the moon"(lines 13-14). The moon and candles represent the liars in society that make women believe that they are required to be something they are not. The lake depicting the woman's reflection is "important to her" (line 18) and "she comes and goes" (line 18) only to be reminded of who she is supposed to be. Every single day that the woman visits, the lake consumes part of her and the image she sees becomes more and more distorted until if is completely different. Within the reflection of the lake, the woman "has drowned a young girl" (line 21) and "an old woman rises toward her day after day (lines 22-23) until her entire original being is gone.
Society, just as the mirror and lake have done, eat away at women and who they really are until they become what everyone wants them to be.
Shaniuk B, 7/8
Sylvia Plath shines a light on diction and metaphors as she describes herself from a point of view of a self-reflecting object. Shown in these objects she sees the reflections of women. Forced upon these women are harsh and truthful images, what they look like away from bias, and preconception that is often forced down their throats by members of the society in which they live. A vast darkness separates these women with the truth held in the mirror and the lake, this darkness being the pressure of reality. From the first line of the piece Plath stated, "I am silver, I am exact. I have no preconceptions" (Line 1). This describes the honesty of the mirror in a "what you see is what you get" sense. This mirror has no previous opinions of how a woman should look or act, unlike everyone else, these preconceptions shot down immediately. The narrator also describes themselves as, "unmisted by love or dislike" (Line 3). again, lacking direct opinion and very blatant in nature, setting a tone for the poem as a whole through simple personification of unlike objects that create the point of view.
ReplyDeleteOn terms of diction, Plath uses simple yet harsh words that really bring the point home, especially in paragraph two. While describing the brief agitation of woman when she seeks her true self at the surface through her reflection, the later realizes the reality she is faced with, Plath stated, "she rewards me with tears, and agitation of hands" (Line 14). This piece meaning that when catching a glimpse of their truthful spirit, woman often become irritated while realizing that they must conform to a mold in which society has made for them, not the honest image they reflect. The lake image states, "I am important to her. She comes and goes. Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness." The hope found in this reflection takes away the dark times, making it momentarily irrelevant to her, its importance stressed through comparison in language.
Towards the end this reflection has a haunting aspect to it, as the woman begins to realize that she will never truly be able to be what she sees. "In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman. Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish." (Line 18). The reflection and idea of freedom that she seeks has become so out of reach that it produces and ugly image. A dead fish like image that the woman wishes she could change, but in a society such as this she has no power to. Leaving her to drown her past and present hopeful and faithful to an unrealistic viewpoint of oneself.
Mewhinney M 2
Sylvia Plath’s piece, Mirror, is a strong commentary on society’s expectations for women. The poem being written in the perspective of a mirror is able to show the reader an unique third party perspective of a woman’s thoughts when looking in a mirror. The mirror is “not cruel, only truthful,” (4). It shows what the woman sees and she “rewards [it] with tears and an agitation of hands,” (14). When the woman cries, it shows the stress she places upon looking beautiful externally. The mirror quite literally states, “I am important to her,” (15). The woman can represent females as a whole in modern-day society. So focused on the physical beauty and placing it above all else.
ReplyDeletePlath places an emphasis on word choice and uses words that only strengthen her meaning. The mirror is referred to as a “little god” in line 5. By comparing the mirror to a deity, Plath shows how the woman places emphasis on the mirror’s importance. The mirror then becomes a lake in the second stanza. The woman comes to visit the lake every morning, and “in [it] she has drowned a young girl, and in [it] an old woman rises toward her day after day,” (17-18). The choice of the word “drowned” correlates not only to its literal meaning with the lake, but also to a metaphorical drowning of youthfulness in the woman dying. The young woman is then replaced with an old woman because of how she chooses to view herself. Society’s expectation for women is to look young and vibrant, when the woman feels that she does not fit the criteria, she allows herself to seemingly wither away.
-Kett J 2
The mirror is actually speaking in the text. So the reader is getting the persepective from its point of view when the word "I" is used. Throughout it all, it is discussing the viewpoint of women in society. "Whatever I see I swallow immediately"(2), relates to the insecurity that is now embedded into the minds of the majority of women. "I have looked at is so long I think it is part of my heart"(7), shows that constant agitation and worry that lies there in the mind. "The eye of a litle god, four cornered"(5), is from the level of trust that women put into the mirror. Sylvia Plath creates this point of view from an object that knows already how it is viewed by women.
ReplyDeleteIn the second part of the poem, the point of view shifts over to the mirror being a lake. "A woman bends over me, Searching my reaches for what she really is"(1) is how females are not capable of thinking on their own and finding their identity without the factors around them. The candles and moon are liars because they give her a false interpretation of what she is. This can relate to a woman turning to a man that does not treat her properly, but chooses to stay with him because she thinks that is what she deserves and cannot do better. The last sentence ends with a bitter taste by saying, "In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish". This woman has lost all of her youth and ultimately is wasted away. A terrible fish can be taken from the viewpoint of swimming around in this lake, (society), and getting sickened by it all, (becoming the old woman), and then just rising above the water barely breathing.
Asturi V, Period 7/8
In the poem, “Mirrors”, Sylvia Plath utilizes point of view and figurative language to portray women in society as unsatisfied. Every day women look into mirrors to check themselves; to understand the imperfections they contain. Whether it is fixing their make-up or noticing dark circles underneath their eyes, they are always searching. Plath uses first person point of view to show the reader the life of a mirror, and how all it does is show the truth to whoever looks. Plath uses strong, gloomy diction to show the reader the truth within mirrors; “in me she has drowned a young girl, and in an old woman rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish” (Plath 1). Each day that passes, the woman sees her youth and fresh beauty being sacrificed by time. The mirror’s only obligation is to show one the truth of their lifetime and it is not always what they wish to see.
ReplyDeletePlath wants the readers to understand that mirrors do not have the power to judge; mirrors only see reality. “I am not cruel, only truthful…” (Plath 1), which within this quote shows that mirrors may only give one reality, harsh or not. Women in society are obsessed with making themselves perfect, and as a result, look at their reflections constantly to maintain beauty. But time will take its toll on anyone, and will take away youth one day at a time. Women see aging as a horrid thing, and do not understand why it must happen. But age is not supposed to be awful; it is a natural occurring event. Youth will only last forever within, not without. But alas, looking inside oneself is not the typical objective. Outside beauty is everything, and once that starts to fade away, a woman feels left with nothing valuable.
Telfer, Reva Period 7/8
Sylvia Plath's poem Mirror comments on women in society through the use of point of view and figurative language.
ReplyDeleteShe uses multiple devices throughout the piece, including metaphors, diction, and personification. One such case of the use of literary devices is when she uses diction. Her diction is a key contributor to her commentary on women in society. She says “I see her back, and reflect it faithfully.
She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands.” This is saying that women insist on turning their back to their reflection and to society when they feel that they are not fitting into the image that has been built for them, regardless of whether or not they want that image. Her diction is strong, and it tries to convey that women may not want what society gives them, and they feel oppressed. She also uses metaphors and personification. The personification is what builds the metaphor “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman rises toward her day after day,” (Plath 17-18). Plath uses the lake to represent how the woman is getting older and how the woman does not want to accept that she may not be beautiful anymore, and she does not want to accept that because society may not accept that.
Another strategy she uses to depict the role of women in society is the use of point of view. The first point of view we see is the point of view from the mirror. “I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions” (Plath 1). The use of I it is putting the piece into the first person point of view, and its description of itself if making the audience see it as a mirror. The mirror, though, is used to represent how women in society wish to look good within it, as society expects them to. The woman is looking into the mirror, and the mirror is only truthful, not cruel (Plath 4). However, to women, since they are held to such high standards by society when what they see is not perfect to them the mirror is just being cruel, and it is reflecting society in putting them down when they feel they do not meet the standards.
There is another point of view half way through out the piece. The point of view stays in first person, yet it switches from a mirror, to the view of a lake. The lake replaces the mirror, and in a way it is more despairing than the mirror was to women. The lake is what the woman uses to search for what she really is. And the lake would not lie to her, it shows how she is really aging, and the woman may not like that. The change in the point of view shows how it goes from something the woman can use to see how society judges her, to something that shows her how she really is and how she is really aging. The lake is what she uses to really judge herself, and she may not like that.
-Bunting, A 2
PART 1 (I apologize, the site would not let me post my entire comment in one part so i put it in two)
ReplyDeleteAccording to Plath’s poem, a woman is only important in society as long as she has her youth and looks. Sylvia Plath uses point of view and figurative language to convey her thoughts on this in her poem “Mirror”.
Plath uses the perspective of a mirror and a lake to convey her thoughts on the superficiality of women in society. The mirror is used to show the woman in the poem’s own self-image, and the lake is used to convey how society feels about women. This is reflected in the way the mirror, or the woman’s self-image, states, “Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike” (3). Her self-image is not affected by if people like her or not, but more on how she views herself because of the standards of society. A woman would not see her own thoughts on how she looks as “cruel, only truthful” (4). Her growing old and ugly is not a cruel way to think of herself, but a truthful observation of herself because of what society thinks. By using the perspective of the mirror to show the woman’s self-image, Plath is showing how easily the personal perception of a woman can change because of what society thinks. She also uses the lake to convey the point of beauty being key to society liking a woman. Unlike the mirror, the lake is more of society’s image of a woman than just her own perception. According to Plath’s interpretation in the poem, a woman will search for approval and belonging with in society to prove that she is still worth something. This is seen lines ten and eleven it states, “A woman bends over me, / Searching my reaches for what she really is” (10-11). Women will look in the depths of society to find out what they truly are to people. This poem shows that society, however, only cares about the beauty of a woman, and how a woman will become upset and obsessed with their image as they look to society to tell them what they are as they age and lose their beauty and become meaningless to society. The woman in the poem shows this by the lake commenting on her coming to look at herself each morning (16). Society is important to a woman, but will not accept a woman once they degenerate. Thus the “tears and an agitation of hands” (14).
PART 1
Lenhoff C. 2nd period
PART 2
ReplyDeleteThe use of figurative language ties in with the point of view to drive Plath’s point home. One of the main types of figurative language used in the poem is symbols. The pink wall for instance, signifies youth. The mirror states, “It is pink, with speckles. I have looked at it so long/ I think it is part of my heart. But it flickers” (7-8). Pink is a color that girls in their youth wear, and when one thinks of an adult woman, red is a color that comes more to mind. The fact that the pink wall is part of the mirrors heart shows that the woman’s self-image clings to youth and does not want to lose it. Yet youth “flickers” and disappears with the passing of time. And when one thinks of losing youth, one tends to also think of degeneration and the loss of beauty. The lake and the reference to candles and the moon are a symbol are used as symbols as well. The lake is society, however a lake is also something timeless that is never going to change as the woman comes every day to look at herself in the morning. The lakes unchanging characteristic not only emphasizes the constant passage of time that will not change and not stop for people, but also symbolizes society’s unchanging perception on how a woman should be judged. The candles and the moon are what the lake calls “liars” (12) because they both signify the passing of time and connect it to unchanging beauty. A candle will still remain beautiful as time passes and its life continues to burn on. The same can be said for the moon: it goes through phases and as it degenerates, it does not lose its beauty and grace. The lake depicts candles and the moon as liars because the woman who turns to them to assure herself that her looks will not disappear with age, it is actually quite the opposite and the lake will reflect the truth of her dilemma to her. Plath also uses a metaphor to show the death of youth as time passes in the poem when it is said, “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman/ Rises toward her day after day” (17-18). By focusing so much on the aspect of beauty’s importance Plath has shown that a woman’s role is to be pretty and young, and nothing else matters about them.
PART 2
Lenhoff C. 2nd period
Rachel Javorsky
ReplyDeleteThe poem "Mirror" by Sylvia Plath comments on society's expectations and influences upon women. One of the points that the poem makes is of the flexibility of society's everchanging requirements of what women are supposed to look like. This idea can be supported by the lines, "Now I am a lake," and, "In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman..."(Plath). In the second stanza of the poem, figurative language is used to compare the mirror to water or a body of water. This is done as commentary on how society's expectations of women are never concrete, they are constantly fluctuating, alike water in a lake. These expectations change over time, hence the use of comparison between a young girl and an old lady.
Point of view plays an important role in the poem to explain Plath's message. It is not the mirror's fault that the one looking into it hates what they see, it is the fault of external influences. The tone of the mirror within the poem is neutral and almost kind because it is not judgemental or cynical of what it sees. This is reinforced as the mirror says, "Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall. It is pink, with speckles. I have looked at it so long. I think it is part of my heart," (Plath). Contrary to the water-like standards of society, it is implied that the mirror reflects the pink wall for a long time, yet it still finds beauty in it, even after years of the same thing. The mirror is not to blame for the loathing of one's image, the mirror is truthful, it is the fault of us and all of society for not recognizing the simple beauty that surrounds us.
Javorsky, R. 2°
The poem Mirror by Sylvia Plath comments on the careless nature of society toward the struggle of surviving as a woman in the public spectrum, giving a cynical and sarcastic twitch to the prose through the strategic use of point of view and figurative language.
ReplyDeleteAs the poem is told from the point of view of a reflective surface, its whole ’life’ spent in faithful service of a woman, the poem acquires an introspective tone. Though it is not the woman looking in at herself, somehow the fact that it is her image showing such deep and personal reflections of herself gives the reader a sense of true understanding. Plath implies that it may not always be the subject itself that first sees the crack, but it may be obvious from the outside, just no one has the glue to fix it. The mirror’s perspective gives a certain tone to the piece that it a dark sort of humor and cynical irony. The metaphor Plath enlists of the mirror being a “the eye of a god, four-cornered,” (5), draws attention to the power it holds. Not only does the mirror see into the woman from her appearance more than the woman could likely see in herself, but the voice used to convey this immense power is so cold and passive that it fosters a total sense of irony in the reader. The mirror is distant, but in that distance inspires a sympathy for the girl. The narrator simply states, “I am important to her. She comes and goes,” (15). There is no opinion inserted; yet the helplessness of a woman being so attached to image and the simple presentation of the information allows the reader to see the horror of the situation for themselves. Plath uses the reader’s own sense of justice to instate the true tone of her poem: dark sympathy for the girl who drowns in her image without even knowing it until she is old and frail.
Jankovsky, A. 7-8
Sylvia Plath says a lot in this poem using several different resources to convey a deeper meaning.
ReplyDeleteFirst, in perspective of the mirror the poem uses a first person perspective for example, "I am silver and exact" (1). The first person perspective of an inanimate object provides interest for the reader at a glimpse of everything a mirror "sees" or all of a purpose a mirror has. The point of view of the mirror could also serve as an outside look of women, how not only women notice how "obsessed" with appearance the majority of women are, but others do as well.
Plath also uses several types of figurative language to talk about women in society. The diction in the poem creates an effect of almost sadness in a way, with words like "agitation" and "replaces" and "terrible" the feeling of the poem has a frustrated edge of discontent to it, as if the woman will never be happy with her appearance.
The tone is similar to the diction, the tone is real, pure, and depressing. As if women will never be happy with themselves, for if it wasn't for mirrors, or lakes, would we ever see ourselves? We would never see what ourselves look like, and frankly wouldn't care at all. Looks would not be important because only other people would see us, and without a basis to judge and compare to themselves there wouldn't be nearly as much resent or cruelty or pressure as there is today.
Personification, similar to point of view is another effect figurative language used to personify a mirror shows everything women go through when seeing themselves and the emotional part of not feeling good enough.
Bethany westphal 2nd period
Using a mirror Sylvia Plath attempts to convey the struggles humans face when attempting to live up to the standards set by society. There is no face given to the reflection, the use of the mirrors point of view lets the face be anyone there are no limitations. Everyone faces the same challenges the author conveys that when she says “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman
ReplyDeleteRises toward her day after day”(Plath 17-18). No matter what a person’s position in society, no matter their age they still face the same honest scrutiny that society hands them. The point of view may shift once from a mirror to a lake, Plath writes, “Now I am a lake”(10), but the idea is still the same, they are both reflective surfaces. It does however show the versatility of the reflective surface; it follows the person wherever they are. This is a metaphor for the bigger example that is society; humans are followed by the judgment of society no matter where they go.
It is interesting that the mirror seems to refer to itself as “not cruel, only truthful”(4), as the mirror only allows for a physical view of a person. A person is much more than a physical appearance; there are internal factors that are larger in determining a person’s character. Society however, hardly ever looks into those factors and judges a person based off what they see, not what is within. Plath also comments on where society criticizes the most when she says “Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall. It is pink, with speckles.”(6-7). A pink speckled wall indicates that the mirror is being hung on the wall of a woman. Pink is generally associated with woman Plath expects readers to make this connection. In the stanza she confirms the readers suspicions through her diction, using words like “she” and “women”.
Plath nonetheless is not only criticizing society in her piece but the women herself for being weak. Plath writes, “I am important to her. She comes and goes.”(15). Everyday the woman goes back to the mirror no matter what she sees, or how it makes her feel. Even worse than that though she lets the mirror tell her who she is “Searching my reaches for what she really is.”(Plath 11). She is looking at the superficial, physical aspect to tell her who she is. Her whole idea of self is based upon how she looks, not what she does, or what she believes in. Plath wants the readers to walk away from the poem knowing that society, as a whole may be wrong in the way we judge people, but it all starts from one individual.
Sansone A, 2
This poem titled “Mirror” brings the non-living object to life in a unique way. The mirror seems to be portrayed as a mother type figure watching days go by and people grow around her while she cannot move. The entire poem is personification and gives life to the object that normally is just used in every day life.
ReplyDeleteIn this poem there are two stanzas where one is the mirror being a mirror in a room and another being a body of water reflecting faces. In both stanzas, a similar tone does tie the two together. This tone is a depressed feeling that the reader feels from the mirrors perspective. There is sadness to the mirror’s voice and shows how the mirror feels for not being able to do much of anything. The mirror says “I have looked at it so long I think it is part of my heart. But it flickers. Faces and darkness separate us over and over.” This shows that the mirror has been looking at the same thing and longs for more as well as not knowing what her heart even is. She does not understand feelings and emotions because she lacks a relationship with anyone. The only relationship the mirror knows is looking back at someone and not being able to respond. This mirror, given human characteristics of a heart, voice and emotions show the intense personification that this author has created for the reader. Giving the point of view of a mirror and not the person looking in it also shows the way the writer thinks. The mirror has feelings too and cant even see themselves. Only the reflection of others.
Mirror by Sylvia Plath analyzes the burden society has placed on women. Society causes women to place importance on image as the definition of their self-worth. By using the point of view of the mirror, Plath portrays the contrast between the mirror’s view of a woman and how that woman views herself. The poem begins by explaining the mirror’s unbiased representation of those who stand in front of it. Plath writes, “I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions/…Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike/I am not cruel, only truthful (1,3-4). The mirror is only reflecting whoever is standing in front of it; no judgments are being made. The woman makes the choice to love or hate whatever she sees before her. The unattainable standards she holds herself to are programmed into her from the world around her. The mirror recognizes its power when stating, “The eye of a little god, four cornered” (5). Society has placed the root of a woman’s happiness in what she sees in the mirror. The metaphor of a “little god” represents how so much power is given to something so insignificant.
ReplyDeleteThe metaphor of the mirror as the lake demonstrates the struggle women find in staying true to themselves in a world where society tells them to be like everyone else. The woman in Plath’s poem finds disappointment as she “searches [the mirror’s] reaches for what she really is” (10). After defining her self-worth, she faces society only to become frustrated for not measuring up to the standards that have been set. The mirror explains that “she rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands” (13). The woman clouds her reflection by moving her hand through the water so she does not have to face the disappointment she believes herself to be.
The mirror explains how each morning the woman transforms in order to conform to society: “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman/rises toward her day after day” (16-17). Each day, the mirror watches as the woman does her hair and make up to fit into the societal norm, changing her from an innocent young girl into an old woman, both physically and emotionally. Her childish face no long glows with youth but is darkened by her stress and attempts to become the woman the world wants her to be, instead of staying true to herself.
Woods, L 2
Sylvia Plath’s poem Mirror is told from the point of view of a mirror while the only character is a woman. The mirror can only show truth, it is reflective and has no bias; “Whatever I see I swallow immediately Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike” (2-3). The mirror brings no bias, though the woman looking into the reflection does. The first stanza explains the mirror and how it views things. Plath personifies the mirror by making the poem from its point of view, using first person to show how the mirror sees things. The language of the poem itself is that which she describes a mirror; “I am silver and exact” (1). The whole poem is very clean cut, the diction is clear and direct. The words told by the mirror are exact, the poem flows without a word out of place. A woman is introduced in the second stanza; “A women bends over me. Searching my reaches for what she really is” (10). The woman is looking into the mirror, but the mirror knows she is looking for something that the mirror may or may not show. Mirrors show the reflection of the truth, and the woman is looking for just that. Once the woman listens to others her reflection changes; “Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon. I see her back, and reflect it faithfully. She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands” (12). These lines show women listening to society, things that don’t hold the same truth as the mirror. Things shown in the glow of a candle are not seen the same as those in the light of the moon, and those are both different than those shown in the mirror. Plath uses the metaphor of candles and the moon to show seeing things in different lights. This is the light society pushes women to view themselves in. Plath refers to them as liars because the mirror is the only thing holding the complete truth, not what the woman believes. The woman continues to look into the mirror day after day, watching herself age before the mirror. Society values beauty and youth, the things she watches slowly fade away each day; “Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness. In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman” (17). Plath says the woman had drowned a young girl, this is her way of saying that the woman has lost her youth in her fixation on being young. She is no longer a young girl but tries to stay youthful. She has also lost the old woman she never wants to become. Women see their flaws that society point out to them in their own reflection. Sylvia Plath does a wonderful job of exploring this idea in her poem.
ReplyDeleteParey C 7/8
Sylvia Plath’s Mirror takes a stab at the majority of society’s view of women as objects and property through the use of personification, point of view and symbolism. The personification of the mirror allows the reader to dive into the woman’s home without it coming from her perspective. The woman is confined by the idea of forced stereotypical femininity through her lifestyle. This is shown by what the mirror sees of the house: “It is pink, with speckles.” (Line 7) The mirror reflects the emotions of the woman too. In line 7 and 8 the mirror accepts its surroundings much like the female character accepts the idea that beauty trumps all: “I have looked at it so long. I think it is part of my heart.” By personifying and using the point of the view of the mirror, it takes away any power or voice from the woman. She only looks in the mirror to view herself to see if she pleases other. Her appearance belongs to those who judge her, or anyone who sees her, including the mirror. In the second verse the mirror comments on the change from the woman looking as herself as a young girl to know. This represents that the woman went through a period where admiring herself as young girl changed to distorting her self-confidence for the opinions of others. Her unbiased view of herself if still lurking underneath in line 11: “Searching my reaches for what she really is.” She has trouble fighting the gender role that has been put on her shoulders, and on the shoulders of the women before her.
ReplyDeletePlath switches the perspective from a mirror to a lake in the second verse. She does this to emphasize the point that this female character or women in general, are tempted to “fix” their appearance in any atmosphere and any light. Darkness is a constant throughout the poem it is mentioned in line 9, “Faces and darkness separate us over and over,” and in line 16, “Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness.” The darkness is symbolic of the emptiness that has grown inside the woman’s heart of brain on the idea of personal beauty- that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and does not exist to please others. Plath seems to write use harsh words like “terrible fish” at the end in line 18 to help convey the overall theme that many women suffer under society’s beauty standards as they become objects to those who see them.
Grabowski, H. 7/8
In Sylvia Plath's poem, Mirror, we see a constant theme of truth and the idea of time. Asides from the obvious attachment to the idea of 'truth' all mirrors represent, we also see reflections through water (an unusual sort of mirror) play out as a way for people to find their identities. "I see her back, and reflect it faithfully." (Line 13) A lake's surface can be seen as a mirror in the most earthly, raw sense of the object, making the stress in this line entirely on the word 'faithfully'. On top of this, water tends to be a purifying symbol, and finding yourself in it can be seen as stripping another part of yourself away, which Plath shows a few lines later: "In me she has drowned a young girl." (Line 17).
ReplyDeleteTime is also an important ideal when it concerns mirrors, the objects themselves are ageless - time will go on and the environment around them will change, but they will continue to be needed despite the advancement of technology and the changing of humanity. This is shown in the first stanza of Mirror, "I have looked at it so long. I think it is part of my heart." (Lines 7-8). Not only is the mirror shown to be old as time, but in the next line we see that due to it's constant usage, the people reflected in it and the images it captures are a blur due to it's long 'lifespan': "Faces and darkness separate us over and over." (Line 9) This is a sharp contrast to the description of the lake, who reflected very personally on the reflections cast onto it, whereas the mirror seems to be distant, cold to it's surroundings.
Daugherty, Morgan 7/8
Sylvia Path's poem, Mirror, addresses the role and point of view on women society through the use of imagery, tone, and symbolism. Through her own personal view and using the view of another woman looking into her own reflection. As her own personal experience, she states how she keeps quiet in her own views and opinions, comparing herself to god in the sense that she does see everything but using "little", it demonstrates that she has no impact: “I am not cruel, only truthful ‚ The eye of a little god, four-cornered” (line 4-5). Her tone enhances her low self-esteem on women society and including that she is "four-cornered" shows her enclosed and protected opinions that are never shared.
ReplyDeleteThrough the loss of shared opinions, people in general lose their sense of who they are and how they think. For the woman mentioned in Plath's piece, she looks into her reflection to try and find her true, pure self: "Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me, Searching my reaches for what she really is" (Line 10-11). Though in the literal sense, having the woman look at her reflection helps her search for her real being, the symbolism of the lake represents the woman's pureness and looking at her reflection helps her except that her real self is still there, hidden somewhere underneath all the lies that society makes her believe.
The lake gives her hope when seeing her reflection, it gives her comfort in herself, sort of a safety net: “She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands. I am important to her” (Line 14). Describing that her tears are rewarding and how the lake is important to her shows that there is still hope in that’s she’s not truly gone completely. But once she leaves the lake she sinks back into the society that looks down on her and makes her believe she’s not who she is.
Güt, S 7/8
Sylvia Plath uses point of view and figurative language to provide commentary of a woman’s low self-image with aging in society in her poem “Mirror.”
ReplyDeleteThis poem is written in first person, from the point of view of the mirror. Plath personifies the mirror, giving it the ability to see, meditate, and think (lines 2, 6, 8, respectively). This literary device allows a reader to look at a relatable situation- looking in a mirror- from the perspective of an otherwise inanimate object. In this poem, the mirror reflects back exactly what it “sees”: a woman, growing older as the poem continues. The overall poem is a comment on women’s low self-image in society, justified when the mirror reflects the woman to posses “tears and an agitation of hands.” (14).
One type of figurative language Plath uses is metaphor. There is a continuous metaphor in the second stanza of the poem, and it starts when the speaker says “Now I am a lake” (10). The mirror is relating itself to a lake in regards to the power it has over the woman, engulfing her in its vastness. This metaphor continues at the end of the stanza when the young girl looking in the mirror is “drowned” (17) and replaced with a “terrible fish” (18) of an old woman. This is a comment of how terribly women view themselves as they age.
Bravchok, K 7/8
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ReplyDeleteIn the poem "Mirror," Sylvia Plath provides the outlook of how the expectations of society affect women negatively. She gives the reader this information by having the point of view be from a mirror, and using figurative language to describe the negative effect.
ReplyDeleteThe poem being told through a mirror's point of view makes it feel more reliable to the reader. Most people would come to the conclusion that regular mirrors just reflect what is in front of them without any distortions, and would believe that is how this poem is supposed to be interpreted. Plath writes, "I am not cruel, only truthful" (4). This line and the three before it set up the idea that the reader can trust what this poem is about to say and take it for the truth. The mirror does not give any opinions, but just actions and basic observations. It does not tell the reader whether the woman is ugly or beautiful in image or personality, just what she is doing and her age, unlike society. The mirror tells the reader of the action, "She turns to those liars" (Plath 12). There is no opinion, only a statement. The liars in it are representing society and how they are telling the woman that she is not beautiful. That is the idea that most women look for when they see their reflection in the mirror, and when an outsider begins to tell them they are not, they will start to believe them, and not the truth of their own reflection. With the mirror giving the women her honest reflection, the reader knows that she no longer views herself as beautiful and believes what society has told her, because the mirror now reflects her as an "old women" (17). The expectations of society are what has aged this woman. The mirror is describing to the reader the negative effects that are created for women.
The negative effect of society on women is displayed through the figurative language of personification, metaphor, and simile. The largest part of figurative language throughout the poem is the personification of the mirror because it is told from it's point of view. Plath writes the metaphor, "Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me,/ Searching my reaches for what she really is" (10-11). The mirror creates the idea of itself as a lake because the woman is searching for something deeper than her reflection, who she is on the inside. Society or "liars" (12) tell the woman that she is not beautiful, and then when she is searching for it, she can no longer find it because she believed them. The mirror also gives the simile, "Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish" (Plath 18). It is making the comparison of a woman's old age to a dead fish rising to the surface. The older the woman gets the closer she is to being revealed as dead on the inside, just like once the fish is truly dead it will rise to the surface. That being the effect of how society negatively impacts a woman over time. Society is crushing women's true beauty, and slowly killing them on the inside.
LoDolce, A 7/8
Through Slyvia Plath's use of point of view, the poem speaks to women in society by referring to the common idea of how women should behave compared to a mirror. Often back in the 1960s, it was assumed that the woman was supposed to sit around and clean and accept hardships and leave the big decisions to men. Plath says," Whatever I see I swallow immediately just as is, unmisted by love or dislike" (2). This continues the idea of women having no choice in their futures. The mirror itself is reflecting this back at her, taunting her with the knowledge that she will never make her own decisions about her life, that society has already chosen her path.
ReplyDeleteAn extended metaphor to describe the mirror compared to the speaker is used to convey how she feels regarding the way she lives her life. This is demonstrated when she states," I have looked at it so long I think it is part of my heart" (7). She was referring to the pink room which in turn stands for society. I can infer this due to the way she describes it as having been there for so long and it being exact and looming over all. On women, the mirror represents the role that they are expected to play while society is watching. The metaphor of the mirror versus the room shows the oppression that women once faced. Plath's purpose with this poem was to break this relationship down in a way to convey how intensely she felt regarding equality.
-Shumate, K 7/8
In Mirror, Sylvia Plath provides a commentary on the horrific loss of beauty and youth that all women endure through aging. In the first stanza, Plath demonstrates how the mirror’s relation to women changes completely with age; the only constant is that the mirror is, “silver and exact” (Plath 1). In their youth, the mirror is a medium of self appreciation for women. Looking in a mirror, a young woman can recognize her own beauty, without the fear of deception. But as the woman ages and loses her physical beauty, the mirror becomes a constant reminder of the decay that is aging. Women know that the mirror is, “not cruel, only truthful” (Plath 4). The mirror is truthful in that it provides an exact reflection – the mirror cannot be deceitful. So as this serves women as a tool of appreciation of beauty in their youth, it provides a portrait of their own decomposition of attractiveness with age. Plath also implies that the mirror has power over women, stating that the mirror is, “The eye of a little god, four-cornered” (Plath 5). In comparing the mirror to a God, the reader associates all the power that is known to be divine, with the mirror. This strengthens Plath’s point even further through showing that the process of aging has power intense power over women.
ReplyDeleteThe second stanza represents a radical change in the poem. The point of view shifts from that of the mirror to the lake, “Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me, Searching my reaches for what she really is” (Plath 10-11). Immediately the reader can see that there are some glaring differences between the mirror and the lake. The mirror is flat, shallow, and perhaps ignorant. The lake, however, has depth and the capability to understand more than the one dimension the mirror is deifined by, and confined in. The construction of the two stanzas may represent the two parts of women’s lives; youth and old age. In this case, the lake could be symbolic of the evolution of self-image that occurs later in women’s lives. While beauty may have once been all that matters to women, there is something more, and that is realized through age. But while women realize the beauty is not as dominant as it was in their youth, it is still largely important in their lives. So much so that, “Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon” (Plath 13). Beauty may not hold the same hegemony as it did in the woman’s past, but the woman’s beauty is still powerful enough to let the ‘"liars" deceive her. So while the role of beauty may decline with age, it is a constant reminder of self-decay; making the process of aging even harder for women.
Bruggeman, J 7/8
In the poem “Mirror” by Sylvia Plath, a message is being sent out about the image that is portrayed of women in society through her utilization of figurative language and point of view. The image being portrayed is the stereotypical idea that all women must be cut out of the same mold and remain that exact way without question. First, Plath speaks from the first person point of view of a mirror. She must not judge nor lie; “Whatever I see I swallow immediately/ Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike./ I am not cruel, only truthful” (lines 2-4). She must be omniscient, as “the eye of a little god, four cornered” (line 5). She must reflect everything asked of her just as it is seen and never falter nor stumble. Next, she is a lake, who must always be faithful. She must do what she is told, even when nobody is looking. “Then she turns to those liars, the candle or the moon./ I see her back, and reflect it faithfully” (lines 12-13). However, regardless of all the others who continue to lie, she must be truthful. The first person point of view reflects the damage done to women each day as they are taken advantage of and expected to do only as they are told.
ReplyDeleteAlong with point of view, figurative language is used as a reflective device of how women are seen in society. As Plath compares herself to this mirror that must ‘immediately swallow whatever she sees just as it is,’ she expresses the stereotypes that are so much deeper than just what is seen on the surface. She uses this quote in lines 2-4 as a cry out for help as so much is being expected from her like obeying others is just her second nature. Lines 15-16 show the expectancy that women will continuously be faithful to and dependent on others. These lines show that Plath’s mindset is strictly that “I am important to her” even though “she comes and goes”. Plath is being led to believe that this person only leaves her because of how much Plath is loved by this person. Regardless of the circumstances, “each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness” (line 16). This shows Plath’s utter dependency on somebody else to replace her sorrow each day. The use of metaphors throughout the poem expresses Plath’s views on women in society and how they are consistently stereotyped.
Cruse, S 2
In her poem Mirror, Sylvia Plath comments of the role of women and femininity in society. Once of society’s largest demands of a woman, sometimes its only demand, is to be beautiful. By using the perspective of a mirror to narrate this poem Plath uniquely calls out this unrealistic expectation. A reflective object such as a mirror projects what is before back, making it an honest and scary tool. Mirrors, unlike people, do not lie, as Plath points out in line 4, “I am not cruel, only truthful.” The mirror creates a more objective tone, as it is only reflecting what it is seeing, in this case, the treatment of women in society. Line five’s allusion “The eye of a little god, four-cornered” shows the reader the power the mirror holds over women, as many are controlled by what they see when looking into a mirror. The description of the wall that the mirror faces most of the day (line 7) is significant, as the wall is pink, a color commonly associated with femininity and softness. But the “faces and darkness” (line 9) that often separate the mirror are representative of the things in reality that separate women and the achievement of the unattainable beauty that society tells them they must strive for.
ReplyDeletePlath then transforms the mirror into a lake (line 10) giving the mirror a more natural and peaceful tone. The lake is very deep and the woman mentioned seems to be pondering more now than just the expectations of beauty in society. In line 12, Plath says “Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon”. This metaphor displays how different types can be deceiving. The light in which society forces women to examine themselves in can be distorting and manipulative as well. The last 2 lines , “In me she has drowned a young girl, an in me an old woman rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish” (lines 17-18) give the poem a haunting and depressing tone in regards to the idea of aging and loss of youthful beauty. Plath’s use of personification and figurative language create a biting and uncompromising commentary on the role of women and beauty in society.
Florek, E. 7/8
Point of view is a poignant way to portray a different meaning than the one originally assumed by the reader. Plath utilizes a different point of view in the poem “Mirror”. She uses the first person point of view of the mirror instead of the person whose image is being reflected in it. The repetition of “I” shows the mirror taking responsibility for all that it is reflecting and all the feelings that evokes. Plath says, “Whatever I see I swallow immediately/Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike” (2-3). This speaks on the idea that women are constantly using mirrors for vanity and yet the mirror has no preference, so neither should society. It simply reflects what is there and what isn’t and that society, and not just women, should do the same instead of always expecting women to look and act a certain way. It is more certain to take everyone at literal face value than to set standards and have everyone striving for impossible perfection.
ReplyDeleteThe strong simile used at the end of the poem also speaks on the way society affects women and the way women, and young girls especially, view themselves. It reads, “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman/Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish” (Plath 17-18). This impacts the female readers in a very brash way because it creates a powerful message that speaks on the way society affect young girls’ mentalities. In the first piece of the quote, it portrays how once that confidence and beauty has been stripped, it is impossible to get it back. And also as the quote progresses, so does its honesty. It sends the message that as women age, their looks become more honest as well, sending Plath’s readers a wake up call. And finally, the terrible fish represents society constant need to push boundaries and break through the mirror as soon as young girls begin to gain footing. Plath’s use of this profound simile allows her readers to more closely engage in the message she portrays.
Gettle, B 2
Plath uses her two portrayed points of view and various examples of figurative language to bring out the theme of truth and appearance. Readers see the point of view through two different perspectives being through a mirror and a lake. Both the mirror and the lake reflect what is casted upon it. They reveal an honest image of what stands before them when deceptions do not disrupt. “Faces and darkness separate us over and over” (Plath 9). The mirror’s indication of separation shows that it disproves being disconnected from its view of the opposite, pink wall that it hangs from because of the acknowledgement of having to part with its view. Also, the lake touches on the deceptions that hide the truth from those who stand before it, “Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon” (Plath 12). This shows that those trickeries may cast different lighting upon individuals that display or cover their characteristics portrayed in their appearance in an untruthful way.
ReplyDeleteIn the first stanza of the poem, words such as Silver and pink first introduce the idea of women to the reader. In the second stanza of the poem it is made certain that women is a big focus in the poem. “Now I am a lake, a woman bends over me.” All views have shifted to women and the idea of forceful beliefs upon them has been brought out by truth and appearance. “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish” (Plath 18). The constant expectation to live the way society depicts women to live their lives has shattered the image of a young girl. Plath compares the “drowned young girl” to “terrible fish” showing concerns with appearance. The mirror and the lake are not only a symbol of the reflections for women’s physical qualities but perceptual ones as well. They both show the struggle for women to appreciate their true beauty. In that society, women have so many expectations they must live up to that they get lost in trying to become an image that is not truly themselves.
Sylvia Plath's poem Mirror comments on society's scrutiny of a woman's appearance. Society forces women to value their appearance above all. She uses point of view and figurative language to illustrate how woman are perceived, and how they perceive themselves. The point of view that appears throughout the poem is first person point of view from the eyes of the mirror. Plath’s use of the mirror as the speaker gives readers insight on how the woman feels about herself without the woman saying that. The poem opens up with the mirror stating, “I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions. Whatever I see I swallow immediately” (Plath 1,2). The mirror literally reflects exactly what it sees without passing any judgment or bias. In contrast, the woman who stands in the mirror has many discrepancies as to what she sees in the mirror. This can be attributed to society’s pressure on woman to look a certain way. Plath says, “She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands” (14). Tears offer the negative connotation that the woman is unhappy with what she sees by society’s standard.
ReplyDeleteCoupled with point of view, Plath uses personification and metaphors to heighten the meaning of the poem. The personification of the mirror helps readers to view how a woman views herself through a non-bias faction. Along with this, it also gives women the power to make the choice of what they see in the mirror, whether it be good or bad. Plath says, “I am not cruel, only truthful” (4). This line supports the lack of judgment that the mirror possesses. Plath’s use of metaphor is seen through her description of a lake. Similar to a mirror, a lake is reflective, yet it goes deeper. Plath says, “Searching my reaches for what she really is” (11). This line states that a woman must look deeper within themselves to feel or see what they want to see. The lake represents the conflict within a woman to see the positives in a world where negatives are always pointed out. Overall, this poem comments on how woman use their appearance to define their self-worth and how society’s opinion can dictate happiness.
Aguinaga, C 7/8 ^
ReplyDeleteMirror by Sylvia Plath is a commentary on a woman's perception of herself as it is impacted by society. The way the mirror is described, it’s easy to picture it hanging on a pink-speckled wall in a woman’s bathroom or even bedroom. The personification in this poem is off the charts, while the mirror itself almost has a God-complex. Quite literally in the second line, Plath claims that the mirror “swallows”, which is just another way of saying that it reflects. This personification carries through the text, the mirror “only truthful”, “meditating”, and even claiming to have a heart. What the mirror is saying is that even as it reflects back to the woman faithfully, she “rewards” it with tears. The mirror is showing her her age and she is depressed by it. Plain and simple. This personification goes on to flow into the candles and the moonlight, the mirror claiming that they lie. They do not show the woman what is truly there… only he can do that.
ReplyDeleteThe mirror isn’t just the mirror in the bathroom though, it’s the reflection of herself that the woman sees everywhere. She carries it with her, the mirror turning into a lake in the poem. Both the woman and the mirror are supposed to be ambiguous. Any woman can watch her appearance change over time and cry. She can see the age pilling up in the creases of her face. The mirror tells her the truth the way many other inanimate objects do not. The mirror cannot lie, and that is the same reasons she turns her back on it. She feels she is not as beautiful as society has deemed she be and that is the role of the mirror. It shows her that she will never again meet that expectation.
- Graf, 2*
In the poem Silver, Sylvia Plath uses figurative language and point of view to describe the expectations that society had of women in regards to their nature vs. the true reality of women.
ReplyDeleteThe poem starts with "I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions./
Whatever I see I swallow immediately/
Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike" (lines 1-3). The first sentence talks about the mirror being silver and exact, which can be taken on society's commentary how women should be precise and transparent in their being. In other words, women should be what they look like and not be hiding anything from anyone. It then proceeds to talk about how the mirror has " no preconceptions/ Whatever I see I swallow immediately/ Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike" (Lines 1-3). This is saying how women should not be biased or have an opinion. Anything they see or hear they should keep it to themselves. Plath then compares the mirror to the eye of a god: "I am not cruel, only truthful,/
The eye of a little god, four-cornered" (lines 4-5). The eye of a little god in this case comments on how women are and have always been witnesses of events that happen as society. Society expects them to be one, and anything they see to keep it to themselves.
A change occurs in the second stanza however and Plath uncovers the reality of women and their struggle to be who they are. For example, "Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me,/
Searching my reaches for what she really is" (lines 10-11). A woman is looking at her reflection looking for herself, trying to find out who she really is. By saying this, Plath is implying that women are oppressed and thus they are forced to hide their true selves and with the changes in ideas during that time period, women are having an even harder time finding out who they really are. They area afraid of not finding an answer, so many just stay the way they are.
Galvan, E 2nd