A Close Reading Analysis of the Poem Mirror by Sylvia Plath (Term Paper Sample)

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A Close Reading Analysis of the Poem Mirror by Sylvia Plath
The poem Mirror by Sylvia Plath presents a persona in the form of a mirror that narrates its existence and that of its owner. The free-verse poem presents a story of a woman who repeatedly gazes at her reflection in the mirror and a nearby lake. The poem, which is from the standpoint of a mirror, presents its experience with the woman along with the manner in which it relates to her, besides, objects within its view. The principal connotation of this literary work is intertwined parts that disclose the truth between the mirror and the female onlooker. Nonetheless, Plath confers to the reader the general meaning of the poem but leaves the interpretation of the symbolic meaning to the reader evident from the poem symbolizing diverse contexts. The paper purposes to present a close reading analysis of the poem Mirror by Sylvia Plath.
From a cultural context, Ted (55) argues that the writing of the poem was in a society characterized by gender hierarchies with women being subordinate to the male. However, the work represents an instance of an emerging feminist who attempts to disapprove the larger societal perception on women as well as the role of this society in influencing the perception of women. The poem, written in 1961 but published in 1963, symbolizes a troubled self of a woman particularly a woman artist in patriarchal society, which attempts to demean and manipulate her individual perception. For this reason, Plath’s masterpiece signifies a consciousness of a woman persona who verbalizes the artistic process of a woman artist in a male-dominated literature. The woman person not only has to discredit the critical and judgmental gaze of the mirror, which represents the male, to attain her independent self-expression. The poem is a manifestation of two settings, which are apparent in the first and second stanza. In the first stanza, the poem's setting is possibly a bathroom. The assertion attributes to Plath alleging, “Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall. It is pink, with speckles” (Plath: line, 6-7). The pink color, as well as the speckles, underscores the setting being the bathroom; however, the setting can be a bedroom because Plath leaves the sense of this setting to the imagination of the reader. In the second stanza, the poem's setting changes from the bathroom to a lake. The setting is noticeable when the persona alleges, “Now I am a lake” (Plath: line, 10).
The fundamental theme of the poem is to underscore reality and truthfulness in highlighting the struggle of an aging woman, self-inspection, and inner turmoil. The capacity of the mirror to emphasize this theme is through the mirror highlighting the persona’s subordinate role as well as the urgency of her subdued speech. With no judgmental objectives, the mirror only “swallows” whatever it sees and portrays the image without any changes or modifications. Arguably, the mirror is not harsh but only reflects the truth about whoever stands before it. The owner of the mirror is a woman who ages over time as it watches. The instance is apparent when the persona states, “In me, she has drowned a young girl and in me an old woman” (Plath: line, 17-18). According to Wagner-Martin (42), Sylvia Plath personifies the mirror as it describes its relationship with the owner. Moreover, in spite of the mirror failing to provide the woman with a moral judgment, the reader understands it through the observation of the mirror, which concludes that the woman is undergoing an aging process.
Primarily, the poem attempts to demonstrate that truth can only be reached by being objective, detached, and unbiased like the reflection of a mirror. With the “silver and exact” appearance, the mirror cannot hide any flaws. For this reason, mirror advises the society that a person should not be “misted” by either “love or dislike” if it expects the truth (Plath: line, 3). Ted Hughes (56) affirms that this notion underscored by Plath is reflected by the corruption in most governments. If persons desire to identify the injustice and corruption in governments, they must be ready to face the truth. Politically, this poem validates the fact that the citizens must be willing to face the truth if they want to appreciate governmental systems. To Hughes (56), Plath uses the mirror as the speaker in spite of the subjects being time and appearance because of their contribution to the illustration of the truth about the woman’s age. Through the mirror’s reflection, the woman is disappointed by the fact that she is losing her beauty. However, from her comprehension, she gradually admits that she is growing older. This expression confirms the reality that the mirror cannot hide any flaws of the woman. Although the woman feels hurt by ...