Sylvia plaths mirrors reflecting various guises of self. Plath uses symbolism, personification, and metaphors to convey her theme that mirrors reflect who we are and how others see us. In the poem mirror, the author, sylvia plath brings into perspective the true importance of mirrors. Reflections of self and other in sylvia plaths mirror imagery. In line 12, the mirror calls the moon and candles liars. What is the tone of the poem mirror by sylvia plath. What are the most significant features of sylvia plaths. Jun 29, 20 line by line summary of mirror by sylvia plath mirror is written in blank verse and is divided into two stanzas.
The poem is written from the perspectives of two entities. Written from the point of view of a personified mirror, the poem explores plath s own fears regarding aging and death. Plunge into the troubled water of the lookingglass the mirror as a symbol of the accurate reality and truth. A metrical analysis during sylvia plath s career as a poet, although the main bulk of it lasted only from around 1956 until her death in february of 1963, this poet produced a body of work comprised of more than two hundred poems, utilizing a wide range of poetic styles and devices. Sylvia plath the daughter of scholarly parents, sylvia plath published her. I am not cruel, only truthful the eye of a little god, fourcornered. The mirror is silver and exact with no preconception. By the time of her death, on u february 1963, sylvia plath had written a large bulk of poetry. She brings the past, present and future all into effect in the two short stanzas in this poem. There were seven lines that contain figurative language in mirror, there were. In this poem, a mirror describes its existence and its. Mirror was written two years before plath committed suicide in 1963. This old woman rises toward her out of the mirror like a terrible fish. Discuss the way plath uses language in the poem to convey this complex tone.
Mirror was written on october 23, 1961, on the backside of a list. As the conclusion, the writer found that sylvia plath has used figurative language. In the ensuing years her work attracted the attention of a multitude of readers, who saw in her singular verse an. In fact, one among the foremost notable aspects of her poetry is linked to the forlorn concepts that plagued her life, and this quality is reflected within the struggle the mother in morning song experiences while progressing into a. In our textbook, journey into literature, symbol is defined as something itself along with another meaning and is always abstract in nature.
By the time she took her life at the age of 30, plath already had a following in the literary community. Mirror by sylvia plath question and answers short answer type questions. This assignment can be used as a stand alone activity, but it works great in conjunction with syl. Mirror by sylvia plath who is the narrator of this poem. Whatever i see i swallow immediately just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike. Feb 19, 2020 tone in mirror by sylvia plath in mirror by sylvia plath, the speaker is represented as a mirror that reflects the life and actions of another human being. Though sylvia plath never realized her youthful wish to walk into the mirror like alice plath. This poem is not a riddle, speaking with the voice of some mysterious i until the end, where the reader is shocked to find out that its a mirror, and not a person speaking. I am vertical the creation of self in the poetry of sylvia plath. For this poem, we are looking at the creation of meaning through comparisons. Sylvia plath s poem, mirror, symbolizes the troubled self of the woman, especially the woman artist who has to reject the given masks imposed on her by the patriarchal society and see herself as an artist and an individual. What is the theme in the poem mirror by sylvia plath. The entire poem is told by the mirror itself, meaning that personification is used throughout the poem because most mirrors lack the ability to talk excepting, of course, the mirror is snow white.
Sylvia plaths frequent use of the mirror as a symbol of female passivity and subjugation. The mirror by sylvia plath is an unforgettable poem told from the perspective of a mirror. Literary techniques used in sylvia plaths poem, mirror 123. Mirrors symbolize identity and esther s reflection in and relation to mirrors throughout the novel follows the loss of her healthy self to mental illness. The speaker develops a casually detached tone right from the beginning of the poem, but also portrays an accepting mood by the end of the work. What is the meaning of the word unmisted as used in line 3. The mirror imagery in plath s poetry, therefore, signifies the. In lines 1718, the image of the aging woman is compared to a terrible fish. Sylvia plath wrote mirror in 1961, shortly after having given birth to her first child. Esthers inability to recognize herself in the elevator reflection at the amazon, the compact mirror in jay cee s office, and the mirror a nurse hands her at the city hospital illustrates esthers slipping grasp on her own identity.
I am silver and exact, i see her back, and reflect it faithfully, these descriptions follow the definition of a mirror. Sylvia plaths poem mirror is a reflection on what it means to be a woman uncertain of the future, haunted by the past. In this regard plath s mirror takes the role of an. Instead, the poem lets us know from the start that were hearing from a mirror, with its title, mirror, and its first line, i am silver and exact.
Essay on mirror by sylvia plath, analysis in the poem mirror by sylvia plath, there is a continuing theme of change. Technical analysis of mirror literary devices and the technique of sylvia plath. And if there was ever a question about the distinction between plath theperson and plath thefirstpersonnarrator, suicide is as convincing a gesture that can be made to say the two are the same. Spiderlike, i spin mirrors, loyal to my image plath, 259 the image is synonymous to death, she can only remember but deadly single word of what is left. Moral judgements have alredy been made about sylvia plath s work, judgements i believe. Discuss the instances of consonance in lines and again in line 9what effect do they have. The fastest way to understand the poems meaning, themes, form, rhyme scheme, meter, and poetic devices. The two poems are blackberrying and mirror sylvia plath born in boston, massachusetts 1932 was the wife of another famous yet complicated poet ted hughes. Sylvia plath s poem mirror reveals the dichotomy between womens need for selfacceptance and their tendencies toward selfdeprecation. Mirror summary this poem is not a riddle, speaking with the voice of some mysterious i until the end, where the reader is shocked to find out that its a mirror. Mirror by sylvia plath question and answers important.
A free powerpoint ppt presentation displayed as a flash slide show on id. Pdf a figurative language analysis on sylvia plath poems. In blizzard sylvia plath shows us the ritual a woman practices every day by looking into a mirror. A short analysis of sylvia plaths mirror interesting. May 11, 2018 plath uses the theme of time within mirror to investigate how everyone wastes time, in some form. The author gives the mirror a voice for it to communicate its thoughts across to us. Jun 05, 2015 mirror by sylvia plath uses a couple of different figures of speech in it to get its point across. A jungian alchemical reading nephie christodoulides, university of cyprus in this paper i propose a new reading of sylvia plath s honor thesis the magic mirror, a reading which, like the idol in a magic mirror demonstrating a disturbance. Read the questions thoroughly and comment if you liked. With one or two exceptions, she brought every piece she worked on to some final form acceptable to her, rejecting at most the odd verse, or a false head or a false tail. Eng 2d 01 october 8, 2020 tpcastt poetry analysis mirror by sylvia plath 1961 i. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of sylvia plath s poetry. In this short poem, the narrator is a wall mirror in what is likely a womans. Sylvia plath uses a unique blend of symbolism, imagery, and repetition to tell a story from the point of view from the mirror.
Plath s poems ends with the emotionally charged death of sylvia plath the person. The mirror gives an autobiographical account of itself. Ppt mirror by sylvia plath powerpoint presentation free. Download my free group poetry analysis activity for sylvia plath s mirror as an accompanying activity. Find a line or phrase that suggests the mirror is unaffected by personal feelings. Jul 07, 2020 essay on mirror by sylvia plath, analysis in the poem mirror by sylvia plath, there is a continuing theme of change. To my knowledge, she never scrapped any of her poetic efforts. The mirror insists that it objectively reflects the trutha truth that greets the woman who looks in the mirror each day as a terrible. In what sense does the speaker swallow whatever it sees. Sylvia plath mirror poetic technique by eve murray. This research includes literary analysis, careful use of scholarship by authors such as.
In the last post, i wrote about mirror summary in hindi. Nov 15, 2011 get an answer for paraphrase line by line the poem mirror by sylvia plath. This poem claims that though certain images reflected in it might be painful to certain people at certain stages of their lives, it is in no way responsible for causing this pain because it. Pdf plaths mirror is an allseeing eye researchgate. Paraphrase line by line the poem mirror by sylvia plath. Sylvia plath has long been categorized as a confessional poet, which has. Though the poem is composed of two stanzas, each of nine lines and nine sentences, the words themselves and the lines they compose follow no set boundaries in terms of similarity other example of poetic technique is here. This zip files contains a pdf, editable doc, 4point grading rubric, and ppt with student examples. Plaths mirror that for sylvia plath, mirror holds great significance because the search. Aug 26, 2014 the mirror by sylvia plath is an unforgettable poem told from the perspective of a mirror. Many of plath s poems were based on her inner pain yet also other celebratory poems about motherhood aspects of nature etcetera. Something whether it is in the form of its any state.
The female protagonist in plaths mirror identifies herself with the inanimate mirror. She continued to write, and while a professional writer for only the last seven years of her brief life, she created a plethora of work. Beyond question, the poems collected in sylvia plaths ariel have carried the. In the beginning the changes are simple, like the acts of day turning to. Pdf sylvia plaths mirror stands as an icon of seeing all objects true to its existence. Sylvia plath was one of the most dynamic and admired poets of the 20th century. Perhaps nowhere does the biographical order of self and the.
Feb 29, 2020 mirror by sylvia plath uses a couple of different figures of speech in it to get its point across. Sylvia plath s mirror stands as an icon of seeing all objects true to its existence. Apr 19, 2019 welcome to the mirror by sylvia plath question and answers. Sylvia plath may be a 20th century american poet whose works often mirror the sadness she felt in life. An analysis of intimacy in sylvia plath s poetry 17 fourth stanza with its own reflection in the mirror of loyal and unique loneliness. In this post, you can find some important questions from the chapter mirror. One comparison used is personification, in which an inanimate object is given. In its two stanzas, the personified mirror and its counter.
Mirror is a free verse written by the american poet sylvia plath. Apr 04, 2010 the poem mirror and an analysis of the poem. It appeared in plath s posthumously published collection crossing the water. She explores the idea of regret throughout time, pondering how she once spent her youth worrying about her aesthetic beauty and how she looked to others for validation.
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