Spiderlike, i spin mirrors, loyal to my image plath, 259 the image is synonymous to death, she can only remember but deadly single word of what is left. The monster in plaths mirror, essay date october 1993 in the following essay, freedman discusses plaths use of the mirror as a symbol of female passivity, subjugation, and plaths own conflicted selfidentity caused by social pressure to reconcile the competing obligations of artistic and domestic life. Mirror by sylvia plath was composed in 1961, just before plaths twentyninth birthday, two years before her suicide. Or, taking that one step further, have you ever thought of yourself as a mirror. The poem is written from the mirrors perspective and details what it. On april 20, 2015 april 15, 2015 by jennie in poetry.
This poem shows the struggle a woman has with her identity as she grows older and begins to lose her youthfulness. This mirror has, over time, been privy to the tears of a woman over who she sees in it, desperate grasps at moonlit lies, and the endless speculations of a pink with speckles wall. While living in winthrop, eightyearold plath published her first poem in the boston heralds childrens section. Plath an american poet, novelist and short story writer. Analysis of sylvia plaths mirror sylvia plath is known as the poet of confession. Mirror by sylvia plath edited by kara glithero on prezi. While sylvia might sound a little bit like silver, were pretty sure from this firstperson declaration that plath isnt the speaker in this poem. She uses poetry as a way to confess her feelings, to express and release her pain in life. Words such as swallow, meditate, and phrases such as part of my.
Sylvia plath was a twentieth century american writer and poet, born in 1932. What is the message behind mirror, sylvia plaths poem. Perception and relevance of mirror imagery rajani sharma one mirrory eye a facet of knowledge. Paraphrase line by line the poem mirror by sylvia plath. Sylvia plaths poem has her hallmark stamp of powerful language, sharp imagery and dark undertones. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Pdf ariel book by sylvia plath free download 105 pages. The feminist movement was becoming more prominent just as plath herself was beginning to experience motherhood and to enter middle age. Many thanks to mrs donnelly for sharing this very helpful revision presentation for pupils revising sylvia plath for the leaving certificate click on the full screen icon to read it easily. Together with unusual syntax, no obvious rhyme or meter and an astute use of enjambment, mirror is a personification poem of great depth. What is the best way to find sylvia plaths senior thesis. In the second stanza, sylvia plath introduces a new element to the poem. Reflections of self and other in sylvia plaths mirror imagery.
The mirror was written by sylvia plath in 1961 but wasnt published until 1971, eight years after her death by suicide. 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. Is a metaphor found in the poem mirror by sylvia plath. Though sylvia plath never realized her youthful wish to walk into the mirror like alice plath 1982. Sylvia plaths mirror stands as an icon of seeing all objects true to its existence. Sylvia plath was an american author and poet who lived from 19321963. Berckplage 4849 william freedman demonstrates in his article entitled the monster in plaths mirror that for sylvia plath, mirror holds great significance. List of books and articles about sylvia plath online.
Mirror is a poem written by sylvia plath in 1961, just two years before her suicide. She changes the narrator from the rectangular mirror, meditating on the opposite wall, to a lake. Her first volume of poetry, the colossus, was released in 1960 but shes best known for the publication of ariel in 1965. Get an answer for is a metaphor found in the poem mirror by sylvia plath. Brainstormfivethingsyouknowaboutmirrors,associatewith. Plath personifies the mirror and narrates the poem from this persona giving us the perspective of things in the light of the mirrors point of view. Sylvia plath s poems mirror the ideological aspirations of its social context, and. Sylvia plath s poem has her hallmark stamp of powerful language, sharp imagery and dark undertones. This article analyzes sylvia plaths poem daddy from a.
Born in 1932 to middle class parents in jamaica plain, massachusetts, sylvia plath published her first poem at the age of eight. Analysis of mirror by sylvia plath essaysthe poem that i chose to write about is mirror by sylvia plath. Unlike most of sylvia plath s poems, mirror is fairly straightforward. The researcher relates plath s poetry to her family, career, and gender, since it. I have a final in english tomorrow, and i am supposed to read and answer questions about the poem as part of the exam, but i can not find anything online that has a good analysis i can read so i have an idea of the poem before i go in to class tomorrow. 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. Comprehensive research and study guide sylvia plath blooms poets edited and with an introduction by harold bloom major. Sylvia plath wrote the poem in 1961, just two years before her actual. Morning song by sylvia plath famous poems, famous poets.
Something whether it is in the form of its any state. 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. Category mirror analyzing the works of sylvia plath. Plaths poems represent this dynamics by portraying. Moral judgements have alredy been made about sylvia plaths work, judgements i believe. Its on microfilm at the smith college library and there should be a copy in smiths plath collection.
Sylvia plath s 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. Her first volume of poetry, the colossus 1960, is at once highly disciplined, well crafted, and intensely personal. Brainstormfivethingsyouknowabout mirrors,associatewith. I am not cruel, only truthful the eye of a little god, fourcornered. Essay on analysis of sylvia plaths mirror 1289 words cram. Reflections of self and other in sylvia plaths mirror. Sylvia plaths poem mirror is about a women maturing with time and her mirror is witness to her aging and her journey to finding herself. 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. In sylvia plaths poem face lift, theres a confusion of time, body and identity as a result of the surgery that radically changes appearance and indication of age. The poem mirror by sylvia plath is told from the point of view of a mirror hanging up on a wall. By seeking to read the riddle of his soul in its myriad. 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 first edition of the novel was published in 1965, and was written by sylvia plath. She was a driven person, and she graduated summa cum laude from smith college in 1955. The main characters of this poetry, classics story are. The poem mirror is adeptly exploring and advancing the themes of both truth and ageing. The freeverse poem tells the story of a woman who continuously looks at her reflection first in a mirror and then in a lake. I am not cruel, only truthful in the poem, mirror, by sylvia plath, which can be read in full here, the mirror gives its own description and says that i am silver coloured and i am very accurate while reflecting the images of the objects that fall on my surface. The first stanza talks from the viewpoint of a personified mirror. This lesson plan presents the poem to the class and is supported by a text lesson that summarizes key points. Mirror by sylvia plath shows the shallowness and superficial concerns of women through the personification and the description of a mirror reflecting a womans life and her character. Edge sylvia plath introduction to literary criticism. It appeared in plaths posthumously published collection crossing the water. Analysis of the poem mirror analyzing the works of. In essence, the appearance of the double is an aspect of mans eternal desire to solve the enigma of his own identity.
The mirror imagery in plath s poetry, therefore, signifies the. Despite her success, plath struggled with depression, and committed suicide in 1963. You bring me good news from the clinic, whipping off your silk scarf, exhibiting the tight white. In that case, you would be thinking metaphorically. Educated at smith college and cambridge, plath published poems even as a child and won many academic and literary awards. Mirror displays tremendous insight and objectivity into the natural human behavior of growing older. The poem is narrated by the mirror, which doesnt provide an unbiased and impartial view on its character contrary to what the mirror claims. Sylvia plath, who killed herself early in 1963 at age thirty, is widely regarded as a major poet, particularly in her posthumously published volume ariel 1965. Mirror by sylvia plath essay topics, sample papers.
Whatever i see i swallow immediately just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike. I selected the poem edge by sylvia plath, mostly because it is ambiguous and hard to describe, and therefore has always been a bit of an enigma to me, so i thought it would be a good poem to deconstruct and look at it on a very basic level and see if this can help contribute to my. Sylvia plath daddy pdf in which i have lived like a foot. The mirror serves as a vivid portrayal of womens life and stride through a very reliable persona, the mirror. It gives us a point of view of the mirror that is exactly reflecting plath. An analysis of intimacy in sylvia plaths poetry 17 fourth stanza with its own reflection in the mirror of loyal and unique loneliness.
The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 105 pages and is available in paperback format. Sylvia plath was born on october 27, 1932, in boston, massachusetts. Mirror was written two years before plath committed suicide in 1963. Sylvia plaths poem mirror, written sometime between 1960 and 1961, actually contains not one, but many metaphors implicit comparisons. 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. Line by line summary of mirror by sylvia plath mirror is written in blank verse and is divided into two stanzas. This is a step by step line by line analysis of the poem mirror by sylvia plath. Sylvia plaths mirror sylvia plaths mirror offers a unique perspective on the attitudes of aging. Top 10 tips for getting started with prezi video in your online classroom.