What is the theme in the poem Mirror by Sylvia Plath?

Category: books and literature poetry
4.6/5 (5,276 Views . 33 Votes)
Mirror” by Sylvia Plath explores themes of the loneliness of depression, self-perception, body image and aging. These themes can be gathered because if observing women with body image issues and depression, they commonly see a reflection of themselves and see “another person.”



Similarly, it is asked, what is the meaning of the poem Mirror by Sylvia Plath?

Summary. In this poem, a mirror describes its existence and its owner, who grows older as the mirror watches. The mirror first describes itself as “silver and exact.” It forms no judgments, instead merely swallowing what it sees and reflecting that image back without any alteration. The mirror imagines itself as a lake

Also, what lesson does the poem Mirror teach us? The mirror tells the real truth of life that as one ages one doesn't look beautiful anymore. One becomes uglier in appearance. The moral is that we all age gradually, and will lose our beauty some day for sure. Not believing this truth is not good for us.

Beside above, what is the tone of the poem Mirror by Sylvia Plath?

Tone in Sylvia Plath Poem Essay. In “Mirror” by Sylvia Plath, the speaker is represented as a mirror that reflects the life and actions of another human being. 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.

How does the poem Mirror relate to feminism?

This relates to feminism because of women's often fraught relationship with beauty and aging. Society's ideal woman is both beautiful and young, so women tend to become more self-conscious as they age. The mirror symbolizes society's obsession with beauty, which unduly impacts women more so than men.

24 Related Question Answers Found

What is the meaning of Unmisted?

(Adjective) not cloudy, able to see clearly. Usage: the mirror shows your image unmisted. unmisted rate. (Adjective) clearly, not cloudy or unable to see.

What does a mirror represent?

Mirrors reflect light which allows them to reflect the world around them. In spiritual concepts, light is a powerful symbol of wisdom and awareness. As a consequence, mirrors are symbols and carriers of truth and reflect what our truth is.

What is the meaning of the last two lines in mirror?

The mirror explains, in the final lines, "In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman / Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish." In other words, "she" -- the woman -- has watched her youth slowly disappear over the years of looking into this same mirror, and the mirror interprets that as a

What is the meaning of preconceptions in this passage from mirror?


By saying that it is “exact,” it shows that the mirror believes it reflects exactly what it sees, therefore being personified as being honest. This continues when the mirror says it “has no preconceptions,” meaning that it does not form any judgements or opinions of the person it is reflecting beforehand.

How has Plath used personification in the poem?

“Mirror” (by Sylvia Plath) uses a couple of different figures of speech in it to get its point across. 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).

What does Plath mean?

n United States writer and poet (1932-1963)
Synonyms: Sylvia Plath Example of: poet. a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry) author, writer. writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

Who is the speaker of mirror?

“Mirror” – Sylvia Plath 1. There are two speakers in this poem.

In what ways is the mirror like and unlike a person?

The mirror is like a person with respect to emotions and views – the mirror wishes to view the world, but is stuck constantly looking at the pink, speckled wall which is frequently obstructed by people and darkness. The mirror is unlike a person by virtue of it being constantly nonjudgmental and truthful.

What is the mood of the poem mirror?


Poetic Analysis
Mood - The mood of the poem evokes sadness, the writer is maturing and as she grows her imperfections become clear, she can not hide from the mirror and although she wants to turn away the mirror always reveals the true reality as is, she is no longer the small girl she was before.

When was the 1st mirror made?

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who invented you? The silvered-glass mirrors found throughout the world today first got their start in Germany almost 200 years ago. In 1835, German chemist Justus von Liebig developed a process for applying a thin layer of metallic silver to one side of a pane of clear glass.

How do you reflect a poem?

Poem Reflection
  1. About the Poet. Use of Figurative Language.
  2. Mood of poem. Try to identify the mood of each stanza, whether it is sad, cheerful, bitter, romantic, etc.
  3. Reading Poem. Start writing about the description in the poem.
  4. Conclusion. Poem Description.
  5. Reflect on the poem.
  6. Steps to write your reflection on the poetry.

When I look in the mirror what do I see poem?

Goines' poem, "The Gift Wrap & The Jewel," begins with her realizing how her reflection has changed physically due to aging: "I looked in the mirror and what did I see, but a little old lady peering back at me / With bags and sags and wrinkles and wispy white hair, and I asked my reflection, / How did you get there?"

Who wrote Mirror mirror on the wall?

Buck Owens - Mirror, Mirror On The Wall.

Does the mirror truly have no preconceptions justify your answer?


The mirror reflects the life of human beings in all its reality. Its reflection is neither twisted nor distorted. It describes the true nature of things. It has no preconceptions and personal likes or dislikes and gives an exact image of what comes before it.

Why is the mirror important to the woman?

The mirror is important to the woman because it reflects the truth so first when the woman was young and beautiful she liked seeing and admiring herself. But now the woman is old and has wrinkles on her face so now when the mirror reflects her image she is agitated.

How does the mirror spend its time?

The mirror spends most of its time meditating in the opposite wall of the mirror. The different faces of human being come between the opposite wall and the mirror disturbs its contemplation of the opposite wall.