Mirror Analysis

The Collected Poems1961I 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.

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The Larger Issue
• Plath is using life as a conflict with this mirror, which represents a person who loves and cares about someone, but that person keeps going away. Plath is the mirror( reflection) of her father, and her father was not close to her heart.
• The mirror is the speaker in the first stanza, the mirror which represents Sylvia Plath, is speaking to itself, but about this wall that is apart of her heart, but flickers, the wall representing her father, they have many times been separated by people and bad things. The lake is the speaker in the second stanza, which also is Plath, and the lake talks about a woman who bends over to see herself in this lake, which could represent her mother. Plath as the lake is saying that she is important to this reflection of a woman, and she has lost all pride by losing her youth, and turns into a terrible fish (bitter or has passes away)
• What happens in the poem is Sylvia Plath makes it noticeable in a metaphoric way that she is a reflection of her parents, and she is constantly being separated from them. I believe this is a way of dealing with their death.
• I believe it happens at night, because the lake says the woman looks to the liars (the candles or the moon) and if it were day, she would more likely look to the sun.
• The speaker is in her mind, thinking of the relationship she has with her parents.
• The motivation is her parents, she feels she needs to speak at this time to release the anger she had for her father, like she did with many poems.
The Details
• The form of this poem is free verse. Plath refers to herself many times.
• In the first stanza she basically is saying, I am always this way, I will not change. She also seems to say that she learns quickly. In the second stanza, she is saying she is faithful and is the same as her mother when she was a child.
• Meditate: reflect deeply on a subject. This is almost a metaphor between the mirror and how she meditate on the wall. The mirror (Plath) reflects off of the wall (Father), but she meditate on the wall which means she looks deeply into, to find her true father. It explains what she does and also gives a deeper meaning to her relationship with her father.
• I believe the tone of this poem is abstruse (difficult to understand) because she is trying to understand the relationship she had with her mother and father, and understand why they were separated with darkness.
The Patterns
• The first and second stanza are opposite. The first stanza explains her actions to reaching out to her father, and the second stanza speaks of her mothers actions to reach out to Sylvia.
• The end words are all words that would either describe her or her parents, with their actions or their personality.
• Each stanza has 9 lines this could represent, how the relationship between Plath and her father and Plath and her mother, closely resemble each other.

| Posted on 2009-11-05 | by a guest

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Anyone doing an essay or research on Sylvia should focus on her relationship with her overbearing (not mean) mother. I have one of these and it has not made life easy. (No one would understand unless they've lived it so I won't bother to get deep).
The first stanza is about herself. "Whatever I see, I swallow immediately". Scorpio children are often quiet observers, overly sensative and soaking up everything that moves around them. We (scorpios) are also known for our bluntness "I am not cruel, only truthful".
The second stanza is about her mother, Aurelia. "Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall". If you read Sylvia's Journals (google books - keyword "mother") you will find numerous admissions of her ambivalence toward her mother. Aurelia was true to a woman of her era. She was overbearing and self-sacrificing. Sylvia loved her and hated her. She is turning out like her mother "I see her back and reflect it faithfully". "In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman rises toward her". (Journals 449)
(Journals 429)
(Journals 431)
(Journals 448 & 449)
(Journals 428)

| Posted on 2009-10-27 | by a guest

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I believe that the sadistic mirror is selfish and conceited. When the mirror describes itself as "a little God" this shows that the mirror has a powerful ego and enjoys the power it had over its worshipper (the woman.) I feel that there are may messages revealed in the poem, but one of the most important messages that Sylvia Plath is trying to get across is that, beauty is nice, but superficial. She is showing up the corrupt society in which we live and tells us that love and relationships should be priced higher than beauty. This poem's message will never die.

| Posted on 2009-10-21 | by a guest

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This is no exception as it is a recount of the Greek story of Narcissus – a beautiful prince that looked at his reflection in a lake so long that he fell in and drowned. So, instead of the last two lines literally referring to the woman aging they more likely refer to her repeated viewing of her own reflection which leads to self-loathing as she sees less and less of the young girl and more of the old women. The rising of the “terrible fish” (l.18) is especially emphasised because of the line spacing between lines seventeen and eighteen which serves to accentuate it as the conclusion of the poem. This emphasis makes sense if it is interpreted with knowledge of the Greek myth and it’s drowning. If it is interpreted as the aged women only rising like a terrible fish it does not make sense that it would be emphasised in a special way as it is merely a descriptive term that should not play an integral part of the ‘plot’ of the poem.

| Posted on 2009-10-21 | by a guest

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i am confused when the author calls the candles and moon as liars ? why ?

| Posted on 2009-10-17 | by a guest

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The message of the poem is that finding out one’s true image can help people, but it can hurt them too. The mirror may be ‘unmisted by love and dislike’ and is able to see the woman clearly for who she is without any prejudice or bias, unlike ‘those liars, the candles or the moon’ which are representations of self-misconceptions or other people’s biased views. However, the confusion arising from what is the objective and ‘truthful’ view of herself compared to her own self-misconceptions may result in conflicting views. Although her curiosity of her real image is satiated, it causes her to become preoccupied over her looks, and fear that her appearance is not as she desired. When she turns her back on the mirror, it takes no offence but continues to ‘reflect it faithfully’. The mirror also feels rewarded when the woman cries, suggesting a sadistic nature of the mirror, and of the truth.

| Posted on 2009-10-01 | by a guest

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Yes, the Old woman is infact a fish.. a terrible fish.
This is Sylvia's one work of science Fiction. Very well done if you ask me.

| Posted on 2009-09-25 | by a guest

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I am confused at the end of the poem where is says that "Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish." Is the old woman the terrible fish?

| Posted on 2009-09-25 | by a guest

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I Reli Like this poem but i need some help as im using this to write an essay and comparing it with another poem written by Simon Armitage calle 'any distance' and i have no clue what to write plz help me? x

| Posted on 2009-06-07 | by a guest

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i think that the meditation on the wall as a noninteresting object is very symbolic. the reader is invited to pay attentino to many details he is everyday in contact with because they are meaningful than what they seems to be.

| Posted on 2009-05-30 | by a guest

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This poem is representational of the idea that beauty lies in the hands of the perceiver. The mirror merely reflects the image to the woman, but it is the woman herself who is judging. Furthermore, the candles and the moon provide a vague image of the woman. They cast untrustworthy shadows that hide her true image, and perhaps take away from some of the beauty the woman may have. The candle and the moon are representational of self-misconceptions and others expressing their harsh bias views.

| Posted on 2009-05-28 | by a guest

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I love this poem it needs to be o AP even is fhe committed suicide she is a poet and all honoable poets are welcome to

| Posted on 2009-04-22 | by a guest

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I POEM IZZ REALLY GR8 IT GIVES THE OUTLOOK TODAY'S WORLD THAT HOW IT IZ VULGAR NOW & IT GIVES THE TRUTH OF THE MIRROR ITS LONELINESS AND TRUTHFULNESS etc .
SYLVIA PLATH'S POEM IS VERY GRACEFUL.

| Posted on 2009-04-22 | by a guest

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I POEM IZZ REALLY GR8 IT GIVES THE OUTLOOK TODAY'S WORLD THAT HOW IT IZ VULGAR NOW & IT GIVES THE TRUTH OF THE MIRROR ITS LONELINESS AND TRUTHFULNESS etc .
SYLVIA PLATH'S POEM IS VERY GRACEFUL.

| Posted on 2009-04-22 | by a guest

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I consider the first section of this poem to be representative of God, "i have no x by love or dislike".
Also i feel the poem identifies with our obsession with self-image and the need that women feel to look beautiful or perfect but no matter what they look like on the outside its your own perception that counts - the negative tone of the poem allows us to see the nagative image people associate with themselves when compared to media images. Candles and moonlight are considered as liars as they are a soft from of lighting which help to disguies imperfections - is it coincedental that romantic situations/meals are often had in candle/moon lit places or is this to avoid judement in this situations, to get over the idea that beuaty isn't everything.

| Posted on 2009-03-26 | by a guest

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Sylvia Plath’s poem “Mirror” reflects many different ideas and thoughts. Her poem is dark, full of unhappiness, and only views the world from a pessimistic perspective. Given Sylvia Plath’s background it is understandable that the poem is full of dark ideas and wild nightmares. Sylvia Plath writes many more poems like “Mirror” Sylvia Plath uses imagery, personification, metaphors, and greatly shows a shift to express all of her emotions she intended to be put into the poem.
Sylvia uses a wide amount of personification which helps the poem “pop out” at the reader. It helps a person get the full emotion and effect from the piece of writing. Plath starts from the very first line expressing personification. When Plath writes
“I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions.” She is speaking as if she were a mirror so the mirror is describing itself as a person. Another good example is when she writes “Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall,” still she writes as if the mirror is speaking to the reader. By saying “Most of the time I meditate…” meditate is a human mannerism so the mirror is taking in a human habit. In the second stanza she keeps up with the personification even with the shift from a mirror to a lake. “She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands.” Plath writes this showing that the lake feels like she is being rewarded by the person bending over the lake and that the lake has feelings of tears that the woman had rewarded her with. Plath illustrates her idea and poem so well with personification and she uses other devices to also put an image in a reader’s mind.
The literary device that the author uses greatly to help you picture what she’s feeling is imagery. Plath shifts points from a mirror to a lake in the second stanza. “Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me,” this shows more reflection as a mirror would have. Now a reader pictures themselves standing above a lake looking at their reflection but Plath is actually writing as the lake seeing the lady bend over her and look at her own reflection. “Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.” Is another great example of imagery because a reader almost can visualize perfectly someone turning towards liars and the candles and the moon show a great deal of imagery and are also used as metaphors to help structure her poem. The shift that she uses also helps illustrate her perspective as she writes her poem.
The shift in her poem is one of the key factors to this poem. If she had not put in that shift no one would have gotten the same idea. She goes from talking in the view of a mirror and switches in the second stanza to visualizing herself as a lake. The whole poem is speaking of reflection and how someone visualizes themselves from the surface maybe “role model” figure but in equity hiding the reality underneath the surface as Plath had once been before succeeding in her suicide. Both a mirror and a lake show a person’s reflection on the surface. Plath compares the mirror and the lake because in a mirror a figure is not shown distorted but in a lake any little ripple or current distorts a person’s surface reflection and show them who they really are underneath the skin.
Plath’s poem reflects a person’s visual when they look upon themselves in a mirror. On the outside happy and healthy but in the inside underneath the perfection which Plath had once been is a distortion you hide from the world and never want to let out. Plath illustrates her idea with the literary devices of personification and imagery to help a person picture themselves in that situation. She uses the shift to get you from the perfection image in your head to the lies you hide beneath the surface.

| Posted on 2009-03-16 | by a guest

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Mirror is a poem that reflects the feelings of the poet, Sylvia Plath, in a way so that the dominant reading of the poem is significantly different from one in which that background knowledge is present. Ultimately it is a poem describing a women’s struggle against the falsity of lies and the truthful harshness of her own image from the perspective of an unsympathising mirror.

| Posted on 2009-03-06 | by a guest

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the poem mirror explores and reveals the complex relationship that we have with truth-the truth about ourselves.the mirror pains to be so objective-without any prejudice.the poetess calls it a four cornered god as it judges everyone unbiasedly without emotional attachment.the poem calls the moon and candles liars for they produce a flickering image and hides all blemishes.the very choice of words and writing as the mirror adds to the poignancy of the poem.the relationshipbetween the poet and the mirror is evidently a complex one-they need each other but cause each other pain too

| Posted on 2009-02-09 | by a guest

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the poem is about the youth and old age.sylvia gives us the the reference of mirror which speaks like a human who identfies his emotions.

| Posted on 2008-12-19 | by a guest

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the poem is about the youth and old age.sylvia gives us the the reference of mirror which speaks like a human who identfies his emotions.

| Posted on 2008-12-19 | by a guest

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Plath’s colourful choice of words in the poem ‘Mirror’ (written in 1961) conveys vivid images. ‘I am silver and exact’ uses direct descriptive words to portray an image of the mirror. Connotations of cold, unfeeling and detachment come to mind. As a reflection on the identity of Sylvia Plath, could she be describing herself in a blunt, self-criticizing way, using the ‘Mirror’ as a metaphor? Use of the word ‘I’ stresses this point. Could it be said that Plath had a lack of self esteem as to examine herself so brusquely? Plath’s poem is a search of self discovery. ‘The eye of a little god, four cornered’ is a description of the mirror ‘the eye of a little god’ hinting at peoples’ vanity and how they worship themselves in the reflection of the mirror. It could also be the suggestion that the mirror is an object, which people look into, to search for themselves, their identity. Plath combines themes of identity with isolation. ‘I meditate on the opposite wall’ is an indication that the ‘Mirror’ is lonely and in a secluded environment. This could reflect Plath’s own self identifying with loneliness in her life and as a part of herself. She ‘has looked at it so long’ maintains Plath’s struggle with isolation in her life and as it has been with her so long; it has become a part of herself.

| Posted on 2008-10-23 | by a guest

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Mirror juxtaposes the somewhat harsh, clear-cut mirror-given image of a woman against false witnesses and how this seeming obsession with image leads to self loathing. The poem’s discourse plays out rather emotionlessly by the all too truthful mirror which reflects the female protagonist’s comings and goings over time. An even colder and crueller reading is unlocked with knowledge of the author, Sylvia Plath. The carefully chosen words subtly cut a cold trail in this free verse poem which does not rely on any rhythm at all for the conveyance of its message.
Plath, was an over achiever all her life, despite being internally distraught from a young age because of the death of her father. This seemingly split persona led to her suicide at the age of thirty in 1963. Mirror reflects this inner turmoil and self-hatred. Considering this when reading the poem positions one to view the women in the mirror as Plath herself and is the only way to interpret the poem in light of the structural features, as will be shown.
The first half of the poem (l.1-9) is continually foregrounding the objectivity of the mirror, for example “I have no preconceptions” (l. 1), and how its image is untainted by subjective opinions because it is “unmisted by love or dislike.” Faced with these cold blue-grey images of a glassy mirror complemented by words like “unmisted,” lines seven and eight seem out of place with their mention of a pink and speckled wall. These lines do serve as further expanding upon the notion of it’s objectivity as it is a transcendent reference point both in position and then throughout time (l. 9). The poem does not aim to portray any message in this first part of the poem, rather it is setting the tone for the second half of the poem, as emphasised by the line gap between lines nine and ten.
In addition to that gap, the point of reference (i the mirror) seems to meld into a lake in the second half of the poem however because they are written about in the same way their differences are negligible. The mirror was able to “swallow” (l. 2) like a lake and the lake gives a seemingly crystal clear image like a mirror. The significance of the imagery of the lake being used lies in the last two lines, and also the fact that Plath often uses the image of the sea and water as a foreboding motif of the unknown throughout many of her works.
However, in this poem the lake represents clearness which contrasts the lies of people whose images of her are likened to the shadows cast from “candles or the moon” (l. 12) which alludes to a very shadowy and obscure representation. The mirror of the lake unemotionally observes how the woman is shaken by its reflection. The reader is positioned to see the mirror as an unsympathetic observer. “I am important to her.” (l. 15) is another example as it just simply and plainly states the nature of the situation.
Further in that line it is written “She comes and goes.” The passing of time in Mirror is illustrated by that line and also in the first half of the poem by “over and over” (l. 9) as well as the description of wall (l. 7), with the mirror being there ‘so long.’ Within a short poem such as this it would seem that referencing to time on three separate occasions would mean that it was an integral concept in interpreting the poem. This means that the dominant reading of the lat two lines will be one of time passing and the ‘young girl’ aging into the ‘old woman.’
An alternate reading comes with the knowledge that Plath often incorporates mythology into her poetry. This is no exception as it is a recount of the Greek story of Narcissus – a beautiful prince that looked at his reflection in a lake so long that he fell in and drowned. So, instead of the last two lines literally referring to the woman aging they more likely refer to her repeated viewing of her own reflection which leads to self-loathing as she sees less and less of the young girl and more of the old women. The rising of the “terrible fish” (l.18) is especially emphasised because of the line spacing between lines seventeen and eighteen which serves to accentuate it as the conclusion of the poem. This emphasis makes sense if it is interpreted with knowledge of the Greek myth and it’s drowning. If it is interpreted as the aged women only rising like a terrible fish it does not make sense that it would be emphasised in a special way as it is merely a descriptive term that should not play an integral part of the ‘plot’ of the poem.
Mirror is a poem that reflects the feelings of the poet, Sylvia Plath, in a way so that the dominant reading of the poem is significantly different from one in which that background knowledge is present. Ultimately it is a poem describing a women’s struggle against the falsity of lies and the truthful harshness of her own image from the perspective of an unsympathising mirror.

| Posted on 2008-08-13 | by a guest

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I HAVE THIS POEM TO STUDY.I FEEL THIS IS VERY INTERSTING POEM.I LOVED IT AND MADE ME TO FIND MORE ABOUT SYLVIA PLATH AND HER LIFE.
HER LIFE IS FULL OF COOMPELLING...EVENTHUOGH SHE IS A BRAVO.

| Posted on 2008-07-10 | by a guest

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well i believe mr. malkayel should be included in this poem because he is my best friend. He is also related to heavy g who is the son of max the coolest guy in the world. He owns Galaxy Cleaners as you should already know.

| Posted on 2008-06-04 | by a guest

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“Mirror” uses personification and metaphors to help readers connect with the theme and the characters. The mirror and the lake describe an objective way to look at truth, while the stars and moon provide the suggestive side. It is clear that to live with truth there is a need to mix both ideas together. With only the objective side, one would live a life without goals or dreams, which in truth is not really a life. Yet, living with only suggestive truth leads one into a fantasy life, an unrealistic day dream. The confusion comes because the line between objective and subjective is blurred. Personal decision of where to place the divider provides an individual meaning of truth, and carefully shapes a person’s outlook on the world.

| Posted on 2008-02-26 | by a guest

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The last paragraph uses the metaphor of a lake. This is relevant as there is a famous mythological story of narcissus. He was extremely beautiful and one day whilst drinking from a lake he saw his reflection. He looked at it for so long and so close that he fell in the river and died. This shows the consequences of vanity. Sylvia uses this metaphor to show that the little girl that used to look in that mirror has now drowned and an old woman rises towards her "like a terrible fish". This shows her dislike for herself.
Sylvia Plath has been looking in this mirror every day for a long period of time, and she is real sing that she is getting older and she doesn't like it. We get a sense of a time period because it says "over and over" and "day after day".
Sylvia was severe depression and she had very little compassion for herself. This poem shows how she is scared of the truth the mirror is showing her.

| Posted on 2007-11-27 | by a guest

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This is about Plath's loss of innocence due to the hardship she has had to endure because of her husband, Ted Hughes, and the way she is aging not only in appearance but in person because of it. She has to decide whether she wants to see herself from the real perspective of the mirror or the distorted one of her own thoughts and the thoughts of those around her.

| Posted on 2007-10-15 | by a guest

.: Mirror Critique/Analysis :.

Mirror juxtaposes the somewhat harsh, clear-cut mirror-given image of a woman against false witnesses and how this seeming obsession with image leads to self loathing. The poem’s discourse plays out rather emotionlessly by the all too truthful mirror which reflects the female protagonist’s comings and goings over time. An even colder and crueller reading is unlocked with knowledge of the author, Sylvia Plath. The carefully chosen words subtly cut a cold trail in this free verse poem which does not rely on any rhythm at all for the conveyance of its message.

Plath, was an over achiever all her life, despite being internally distraught from a young age because of the death of her father. This seemingly split persona led to her suicide at the age of thirty in 1963. Mirror reflects this inner turmoil and self-hatred. Considering this when reading the poem positions one to view the women in the mirror as Plath herself and is the only way to interpret the poem in light of the structural features, as will be shown.

The first half of the poem (l.1-9) is continually foregrounding the objectivity of the mirror, for example “I have no preconceptions” (l. 1), and how its image is untainted by subjective opinions because it is “unmisted by love or dislike.” Faced with these cold blue-grey images of a glassy mirror complemented by words like “unmisted,” lines seven and eight seem out of place with their mention of a pink and speckled wall. These lines do serve as further expanding upon the notion of it’s objectivity as it is a transcendent reference point both in position and then throughout time (l. 9). The poem does not aim to portray any message in this first part of the poem, rather it is setting the tone for the second half of the poem, as emphasised by the line gap between lines nine and ten.

In addition to that gap, the point of reference (i the mirror) seems to meld into a lake in the second half of the poem however because they are written about in the same way their differences are negligible. The mirror was able to “swallow” (l. 2) like a lake and the lake gives a seemingly crystal clear image like a mirror. The significance of the imagery of the lake being used lies in the last two lines, and also the fact that Plath often uses the image of the sea and water as a foreboding motif of the unknown throughout many of her works.

However, in this poem the lake represents clearness which contrasts the lies of people whose images of her are likened to the shadows cast from “candles or the moon” (l. 12) which alludes to a very shadowy and obscure representation. The mirror of the lake unemotionally observes how the woman is shaken by its reflection. The reader is positioned to see the mirror as an unsympathetic observer. “I am important to her.” (l. 15) is another example as it just simply and plainly states the nature of the situation.

Further in that line it is written “She comes and goes.” The passing of time in Mirror is illustrated by that line and also in the first half of the poem by “over and over” (l. 9) as well as the description of wall (l. 7), with the mirror being there ‘so long.’ Within a short poem such as this it would seem that referencing to time on three separate occasions would mean that it was an integral concept in interpreting the poem. This means that the dominant reading of the lat two lines will be one of time passing and the ‘young girl’ aging into the ‘old woman.’

An alternate reading comes with the knowledge that Plath often incorporates mythology into her poetry. This is no exception as it is a recount of the Greek story of Narcissus – a beautiful prince that looked at his reflection in a lake so long that he fell in and drowned. So, instead of the last two lines literally referring to the woman aging they more likely refer to her repeated viewing of her own reflection which leads to self-loathing as she sees less and less of the young girl and more of the old women. The rising of the “terrible fish” (l.18) is especially emphasised because of the line spacing between lines seventeen and eighteen which serves to accentuate it as the conclusion of the poem. This emphasis makes sense if it is interpreted with knowledge of the Greek myth and it’s drowning. If it is interpreted as the aged women only rising like a terrible fish it does not make sense that it would be emphasised in a special way as it is merely a descriptive term that should not play an integral part of the ‘plot’ of the poem.

Mirror is a poem that reflects the feelings of the poet, Sylvia Plath, in a way so that the dominant reading of the poem is significantly different from one in which that background knowledge is present. Ultimately it is a poem describing a women’s struggle against the falsity of lies and the truthful harshness of her own image from the perspective of an unsympathising mirror.

::: http://willmbarker.blogspot.com/ :::


| Posted on 2006-06-17 | by Approved Guest

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Throughout this poem there is a theme of the truth and lies. Sylvia plath is torn between the true picture of herself and the distorted image others see of her. The mirror represents the truth, as it is described as "exact", "just as it is" and "only truthful". Unlike humans the mirror cannot judge sylvia as it says "no preconceptions...unmisted by love or dislike". This shows unlike someone who may love her or hate her the mirror can have no opinion of her so will not be biased on judging how she looks. We see later on that the mirror has no feelings for sylvia as when Sylvia is upset by the image she sees the mirror takes no offence to her turning her back it just "reflects it faithfully". When she crys the mirror sees this as a reward and has no sympathy.
"I" in this poem represents the mirror as Sylvia Plath is trying to see the mirrors view of herself.
"The she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon" This shows how the candles or the moon, although they give of light, do not give a perfect reflection so they are liars and don't give the exact truth like the mirror. This contrast is important as it shows Sylvia's conflicting views of herself.
The last paragraph uses the metaphor of a lake. This is relevant as there is a famous mythological story of narcissus. He was extremely beautiful and one day whilst drinking from a lake he saw his reflection. He looked at it for so long and so close that he fell in the river and died. This shows the concequences of vanity. Sylvia uses this metaphor to show that the little girl that used to look in that mirror has now drowned andan old woman rises towards her "like a terrible fish". This shows her dislike for herself.
Sylvia plath has been looking in this mirror every day for a long period of time, and she is realsing that she is getting older and she doesn't like it. We get a sense of a time period because it says "over and over" and "day after day".
Sylvia was severe depression and she had very little compassion for herself. This poem shows how she is scared of the truth the mirror is showing her.

| Posted on 2005-02-27 | by xdollpartsx