In mirror, sylvia plath gives us the point of view of the mirror actually a. In mirror, sylvia plath gives us the point of view of the mirror actually a mirror in the 1960s, a time when the meaning of plaths reflection, and womens reflections in general, were rapidly changing. 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. Mirror is a poem written by sylvia plath in 1961, just two years before her suicide.
Analysis of the poem mirror analyzing the works of sylvia. Its on microfilm at the smith college library and there should be a copy in smiths plath collection. Jul 31, 2016 line by line summary of mirror by sylvia plath mirror is written in blank verse and is divided into two stanzas. Mirror by sylvia plath sylvia plath, in her poem, mirror, uses a number of devices to bring across to the reader her theme. Her first volume of poetry, the colossus, was released in 1960 but shes best known for the publication of ariel in 1965. Reflections of self and other in sylvia plaths mirror imagery. Sylvia a clip from the movie sylvia, a dramatization of plath s life, starring gwyneth paltrow. Sylvia plath was a twentieth century american writer and poet, born in 1932. Female bodies and male power in the poetry of sylvia plath.
Line by line summary of mirror by sylvia plath mirror is written in blank verse and is divided into two stanzas. I bought the collected poems sylvia plath because i wanted to explore plaths work. Jul 07, 2017 the mirror by sylvia plath full explanation mytutor. I am not cruel, only truthful the eye of a little god, fourcornered. Category mirror analyzing the works of sylvia plath. May 30, 2015 its on microfilm at the smith college library and there should be a copy in smiths plath collection. I recommend you to read the laburnum top by ted hughes. Decoding sylvia plaths daddy is the first of a series of decoding books presenting plath in compelling, original context, interpreted by the fixed stars govern a life. A sensitive person who tended to be a bit of a perfectionist she was what many would consider a model daughter and student popular, a straight a student, always winning the best prizes. Mirror by sylvia plath was composed in 1961, just before plaths twentyninth birthday, two years before her. In the poem mirror, by sylvia plath, the poet communicates the idea that ones perception of youth and old age can influence how one views the passage of time. Its tempting to read mirror as a reflection of plaths difficult life, but the poem has.
We know mirrors dont talk but that just makes us more curious about what this mirror is going to say. An analysis of mirror by sylvia plath literature essay samples. Poems is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. At last her letters, including many to ted hughes, appear in complete form. My second book will show that same world as seen through the eyes of health. Essay on analysis of sylvia plaths mirror 1289 words cram.
The backstory of sylvia plaths lesbos on saturday, october, 1962, the day after she wrote daddy, sylvia plath woke at 4. Sylvia plaths poem mirror is a reflection on what it means to be a. Get an answer for paraphrase line by line the poem mirror by sylvia plath. An analysis of mirror by sylvia plath literature essay. Sometimes we can only rely on what we see in ourselves as the truth. The mirror watches a womans youth pass her by, and it appears that. Mirror is a free verse written by the american poet sylvia plath. Mirror by sylvia plath was composed in 1961, just before plaths twentyninth birthday, two years before her suicide. Title commentary ariel the bell jar ariel kathleen margaret lant essay date winter 1993 source. The mirror imagery in plaths poetry, therefore, signifies the. In 1982, she won a posthumous pulitzer prize for the collected poems. Words such as swallow, meditate, and phrases such as part of my. Sylvia plath s mirror is a poem told from the point of view of the mirror. Hence, although the narrators form has changed, its function hasnt.
Known primarily for her poetry, plath also wrote a semiautobiographical novel, the bell jar, under the pseudonym victoria lucas. The author uses imagery, diction, and poetic devices to convey this theme. One of the most influential poets, novelists, and short story writers of the 20th century, sylvia plath 19321963 was credited with advancing confessional poetry. In plaths poetry of the mirror and the shadow, we primarily. A reflection in sylvia plaths mirror 10 words 5 pages. Analysis of the poem the mirror english literature essay. Mirror was written two years before plath committed suicide in 1963. Mirror by sylvia plath uses a couple of different figures of speech in it to get its point across. This is a precious poem that captures misery and truth. The central theme in the poem mirror, by sylvia plath, is selfreflection and appearance. Sylvia plaths mirror explores the impact of time on individuals, specifically within the realities of aging and losing beauty. The book s protagonist, esther greenwood, is a bright, ambitious student at smith college who begins to experience a mental breakdown while interning for a fashion magazine in new york.
Mirror by sylvia plath by lovelynne magalued on prezi. A jungian alchemical reading nephie christodoulides, university of cyprus in this paper i propose a new reading of sylvia plaths honor thesis the magic mirror, a reading which, like the idol in a magic mirror demonstrating a disturbance. White goddess, knew about the triplenature of the goddess in gravess book. The overall meaning of the poem mirror pen and the pad. Sylvia plath is reported to have said of the novel that she tried to show how isolated a person feels when he is suffering a breakdown. Sylvia plath wrote the poem in 1961, just two years before her actual. A short analysis of sylvia plaths mirror interesting literature.
In lines 1718, the image of the aging woman is compared to a terrible fish. May 29, 2012 poetry commentary on mirror by sylvia plath mirror by sylvia plath is a poem that deals with the unchanging and painful process of age and time which leads to people to try and change this by creating their own delusional world. In the ensuing years her work attracted the attention of a multitude of readers, who saw in her singular verse an. What is the best way to find sylvia plaths senior thesis. The freeverse poem tells the story of a woman who continuously looks at her reflection first in a mirror and then in a lake. Plath uses the theme of time within mirror to investigate how everyone wastes time, in some form. Plath an american poet, novelist and short story writer. Sylvia plaths poem, mirror, represents the disturbed self of the woman, the mirror signifies the unsympathetic male view of a woman and what is socially expected of her. Essays related to analysis of mirror by sylvia plath. Sylvia plath s mirror explores the impact of time on individuals, specifically within the realities of aging and losing beauty. Jul 31, 2016 in the second stanza, sylvia plath introduces a new element to the poem. Ever caught yourself looking in the mirror a little too long, just staring at your own reflection. Analysis of the poem mirror analyzing the works of.
I dont remember reading plaths work before, but several of the poems had a familiar feel to them so i must have read her at some point. Sylvia plaths mirror is a poem told from the point of view of the mirror. Though the speaker is a mirror, the subjects are time and appearance. Oct 27, 2017 sometimes we can only rely on what we see in ourselves as the truth. A sensitive person who tended to be a bit of a perfectionist she was what many would consider a model daughter and student popular, a.
Interview with plath a 1962 interview with sylvia plath. The relationship between the mirror and the woman is uneasy and almost abusive in sylvia plaths poem mirror by sylvia plath. The poem is filled with the skillful application of consonance rhyming consonants and assonance rhyming vowels, as well as a end, slant or half rhymes, and head rhymes also called alliteration. She was suffering from depression and her poetry is a proof. Title commentary ariel the bell jararielkathleen margaret lant essay date winter 1993source. It gives us a point of view of the mirror that is exactly reflecting plath. In much of her later poetry, sylvia plath sought to give birth to a creative or deep self hidden. Sylvia plath books, ebooks, audiobooks, biography barnes. The university of illinois provides commentary on a variety of plath s poetry, as well as biographical information, photos, and an interview.
But it wasnt published for another ten years, when it appeared in plaths book. Sylvia plaths allegiance to death and her persistent fascination with the darkest aspects of life, often expressed with extraordinary power and exquisite nuance, show that she was unbalanced, in the sense that, like poe and beddoes, she habitually slighted large areas of life in which most people, and the best writers, find sustenance. The mirror watches a womans youth pass her by, and it appears that the woman gauges her worth based on what she sees. The woman struggles with the loss of her beauty, admitting each day that she is growing older. Poetry commentary on mirror by sylvia plath mirror by sylvia plath is a poem that deals with the unchanging and painful process of age and time which leads to people to try and change this by creating their own delusional world. The poem is constructed of sets of three lines, also known as tercets. This applies to both of the characters described in the poem.
The poem that struck me as being very emotional was the poem by sylvia plath the mirror. Jul 09, 20 this poem by sylvia plath symbolizes the troubled self of the woman, who has had to reject the given masks imposed on her by the patriarchal society and see herself as an individual. Mirror by sylvia plath is one of the great american lyrical poems. Analysis of sylvia plaths mirror sylvia plath is known as the poet of confession. The mirror interacts with this mature face in a more complex way, and the image of the womans back, her agitation, her dependency on the mirror, all express anxiety and disappointment. The mirror was written by sylvia plath in 1961 but wasnt published until 1971, eight years after her death by suicide. The title for example serves to give the reader an initial idea of the theme, and indeed this appears to be substantiated by the rest of the text. Compared to most of the others in plaths oeuvre, this poem is not particularly difficult to analyze. She changes the narrator from the rectangular mirror, meditating on the opposite wall, to a lake. Plath uses the technique of personification for the mirror. Category mirror mirror analyzing the works of sylvia plath. Paraphrase line by line the poem mirror by sylvia plath. As readers, we know that much of plath s oeuvre of poetry focuses on her lost youth and her gradual lack of beauty as she ages. Sylvia plath uses a unique blend of symbolism, imagery, and.
The poem revolves around the truth of reflections in the life of an individual. By the time she took her life at the age of 30, plath already had a following in the literary community. It captures the frustration of people as they look at their reflection watching themselves age. Sylvia plaths poem, mirror, symbolizes the troubled self of the woman, especially the woman artist who has to reject the given masks imposed on her by the patriarchal society and see herself as an artist and an individual. Sylvia plath bibliography sylvia plath was born on october 27, 1932 in boston, massachusetts. The mirror by sylvia plath full explanation youtube. The mirror watches a womans youth pass her by, and it appears that the woman gauges. What readers are saying about decoding sylvia plaths daddy. The first stanza talks from the viewpoint of a personified mirror.
Compared to most of the others in plath s oeuvre, this poem is not particularly difficult to analyze. Her semiautobiographical novel the bell jar was published shortly before her suicide. While sylvia might sound a little bit like silver, were pretty sure from this firstperson declaration that plath isnt the speaker in this poem. Reflections of self and other in sylvia plaths mirror. Jul 09, 20 mirror is a poem written by sylvia plath in 1961, just two years before her suicide. The narrator, that is the mirror, begins by saying that it is silver and exact. Poems study guide contains a biography of poet sylvia plath, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis of select poems. While living in winthrop, eightyearold plath published her first poem in the boston heralds childrens section. When she was just eight years old, her father died of complications from diabetes, which could. In the second stanza, sylvia plath introduces a new element to the poem. The mirror by sylvia plath full explanation mytutor.
Sylvia plath was an american poet, novelist, and short story writer. Born in 1932 to middle class parents in jamaica plain, massachusetts, sylvia plath published her first poem at the age of eight. Whatever i see i swallow immediately just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike. Sylvia plath s allegiance to death and her persistent fascination with the darkest aspects of life, often expressed with extraordinary power and exquisite nuance, show that she was unbalanced, in the sense that, like poe and beddoes, she habitually slighted large areas of life in which most people, and the best writers, find sustenance. Analysis of mirror by sylvia plath reading by sherice blair. Decoding sylvia plath system, by author julia gordonbramer. Even though she was writing poetry from the age of eight, she had to study in several universities and colleges before receiving her recognition in the literary world. In the ensuing years her work attracted the attention of a multitude of readers, who saw in her singular verse an attempt to catalogue despair, violent emotion, and obsession with death. Ariel, despite the tragedy that attends it, is a book with much joy between its covers.
Written in firstperson point of view, the speaker is the mirror. She uses poetry as a way to confess her feelings, to express and release her pain in life. Sylvia plath was one of the most dynamic and admired poets of the 20th century. In line 12, the mirror calls the moon and candles liars. If youre not near northhampton massachusetts, or unable to get permission to see it, there were copies printed in book form in the 1980s, but t. The duality that sylvia plath wrote about in her thesis provides the basis for the personality. Sylvia plath uses a unique blend of symbolism, imagery, and repetition to tell a story from the.
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