Poetry Commentary: Mirror

Pinny Pinnapa Phetcharatana IB English A1 HL October 23, 2009 Commentary: Mirror by Sylvia Plath Mirror by Sylvia Plath is a poem that deals with the unbearable thought of reality that often leads one to welcome false illusions that bring temporary comfort and satisfaction. Plath, through personification, narrates from a mirror’s viewpoint, allowing readers to absorb its honesty and good intentions. Striking aspects of Mirror include the subtle contrast between the reflections of appearance and essence, the juxtaposition between the soul-searching woman and Narcissus, and the ambiguity of the closing phrase that causes readers to reconsider the speaker’s persona. The poem is divided into two discrete stanzas: the first describing the mirror’s shallow reflections, and the second relating to spiritual realities that a lake holds. In the first stanza, the speaker takes on the role of a mirror and mentions the opposite wall being reflected, describing it simply as “pink, with speckles.” By placing the focus only on the wall’s appearance, Plath implies that the mirror’s perceptions are only skin-deep, restricted within its four corners, and unable to take in any more knowledge beyond that point. However, in the second stanza, the speaker transforms into a lake and a woman bends over it, “searching my [the lake’s] reaches for what she really is.” The vast lake itself suggests depth and mystery, creating a parallel with the deep and complex human soul that it is reflecting. The implications hidden within each of the two stanzas serve to strengthen the contrast between artificiality and spirituality. In Lines 12 and 13, Plath makes an allusion to the famous Greek mythological figure Narcissus in order to juxtapose with the struggling woman who attempts to search for her soul but only sees a reflection in terms of physical beauty. Narcissus is widely known for his vanity and egotism; however, the woman in this poem, unlike Narcissus, is in a state of self-doubt. After experiencing the reality of her appearance through the lake’s reflections with disappointment, “she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.” These objects are liars, for they are often associated with romance and illusionsbeing enhanced with bright glows rather than a mirror’s “faithful reflection.” The woman finds more comfort by placing her trust in the candles or moons, since these liars project only images and emotions that she wishes to experience. After reflecting the woman faithfully, the speaker is “rewarded with tears and an agitation of hands.” The word “reward” is spat out with sarcasm, since it is followed by melancholic words: “tears” and “agitation.” The lake actually wishes to be honored by the woman for having faithfully reflected her back, but is instead betrayed by her as she choose the moon’s and candle’s side. This use of verbal irony causes readers to feel sympathy towards the speaker (the lake) and perhaps even contempt towards the woman.

Plath spontaneously closes the poem with a simile that immediately causes readers to question the speaker’s emotionless character: “In me an old woman rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish.” Plath leaves her readers with a shocked final impression with no further explanations. Perhaps the speaker may be suggesting that the woman’s youth has drowned within the depths of the lake- unable to be recoveredand that the woman’s reality is finally haunting her, inching closer to her for every moment that she denies it. Surprisingly, through this phrase, the speaker that is said to have “no preconceptions” reveals an attitude that may have sprouted from feelings of betrayal since the woman has chosen the moon’s and candle’s illusionist side. From this observation readers can infer that the mirror itself has actually formed an opinion. This situation can also be linked to the mirror’s emotional attachment to the pink wall that it faces. The non-prejudice, non-biased mirror that is “neither unmisted by love nor dislike” that the readers once knew, has contradicted itself by revealing its emotions and affections. If this mirror, apart from being able to “reflect faithfully,” can also interpret its surroundings and find significance in the woman and the pink wall mentioned, then judgment must be inevitable. Overall, the poem, “Mirror,” is powerful and yet is one of striking simplicity. By employing a first-person narrative from an inanimate object’s perspective, the speaker succeeds in convincing readers about the concept of truth and reality that can be difficult to explain from a human’s point of view. What distinguishes Mirror from other poems is that Plath does not try to convince her readers to embrace reality for what it is with arguments and rhetoric, but rather she invites the readers into the scenes of Mirror, allowing them to base their conclusions and views on how the poem causes them feel. Plath furthermore causes readers to be faced with the concept of physical vs. spiritual beauty- that by simply staring into a reflection in a lake that one is able to define oneself by appearance. Readers are then faced with the final question: Is “truthful reflection” equal to only the reflection of one’s physical image?