Line-by-Line Analysis of Sylvia Plath's "Mirror"

Introduction

• The speaker of the poem is the mirror.
• Mirror's traits: honest, fair, exact, and objective.
• Emphasizes reality as it is, without emotional influence.

Stanza 1: The Mirror

• Lines 1-2: Describes the mirror as silver, exact, and without preconceptions. Uses personification.
  • Mirror’s form: precise, sharp angles and lines.
  • Imagery: silver and exact.
• Line 3: The mirror immediately reflects images without alteration.
  • No correction, addition, or subtraction of details.
• Lines 4-5: The mirror doesn't love or dislike; it reflects reality unbiased.
  • Sibilance: "whatever I see I swallow immediately, just as it is unmisted by love or dislike."
• Line 6: The mirror claims not to be cruel, only truthful.
• Lines 7-8: Mirror as the "eye of a little god, four-cornered."
  • Reflects reality perfectly but is limited (doesn't see everything).
  • Irony in being a "little god."
• Lines 9-10: Mirror meditates on the opposite pink wall with speckles.
  • Visual imagery contrasts with unemotional tone.
• Lines 11-12: Over time, the pink wall becomes part of the mirror's "heart."
  • Strange attachment to an inanimate object rather than its human owner.
  • Reflection of modern materialistic values.

Stanza 2: The Lake and the Woman

• Line 1: Introduction of a lake, another reflective surface.
• Line 2: Lake reflects a woman, who is searching for her true self.
  • Depiction of aging.
• Lines 3-4: Woman turns to "liars," the candles or the moon.
  • Contrast between truth (mirror) and comforting illusions (candles/moon).
• Lines 5-6: Woman’s reflection causes her tears and agitation.
  • Possible metaphor for a broken mirror or smashed water.
• Lines 7-8: Woman's aging transforms her from a young girl to an old woman.
  • Simile: compared to a "terrible fish."
  • Allusion to the biblical story of Jonah.

Themes and Symbolism

• Time and Aging: Passage of time and its inevitable effects on beauty.
• Appearance vs. Reality: Contrast between physical appearance and true self.
• Obsession with Beauty: The societal pressure on women to maintain youthfulness.
• Narcissism: Reference to Greek mythology and dangers of self-obsession.

Poetic Devices

• Personification: Mirror speaks with human attributes.
• Imagery: Vivid descriptions of the mirror and reflections.
• Irony: Mirror's claim as a "little god."
• Allusion: To Snow White and the tale of Narcissus.

Conclusion

• Form: Written in free verse to reflect the mirror's objectivity.
• Reflection: The first stanza reflects the second like a mirror.
• Message: Acceptance of time and fate, and questioning what we see in our reflections.