Mirror by Sylvia Plath — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

Mirror by Sylvia Plath I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions1. 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. 5 Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall. It is pink, with speckles2. 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, 10 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 agitation3 of hands. I am important to her. She comes and goes. 15 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.

Translation (English)

I am silver and precise. I have no biases. I take in everything I see right away Exactly as it is, without any affection or dislike. I am not harsh, just honest – Like the eye of a small god, square-shaped. Most of the time I focus on the wall opposite me. It is pink, with spots. I have looked at it so long I feel it is part of my heart. But it changes. Faces and darkness come between us again and again. Now I am a lake. A woman leans over me, Looking deep into me to find her true self. Then she turns to those deceivers, the candles or the moon. I see her back, and reflect it exactly. She gives me tears and restless movements of her hands. I matter to her. She comes and goes. Each morning her face replaces the darkness. In me, she has lost a young girl, and in me an old woman Emerges toward her day after day, like a frightening fish.

About the Poet

Sylvia Plath (20th Century, Confessional Poetry)

Sylvia Plath was an American poet known for her confessional style. Born in 1932, she published notable works like 'The Bell Jar' and 'Ariel'. Plath battled severe depression and died by suicide in 1963. Her work posthumously earned a Pulitzer Prize.

Historical Context

Literary Form: Free Verse
When Written: 1961
Background: The poem reflects Plath's exploration of identity and self-perception, common themes in her work. It was written during a period of personal turmoil and introspection.

Sources: https://allpoetry.com/poem/8498499-Mirror-by-Sylvia-Plath, https://poemanalysis.com/sylvia-plath/mirror/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Plath

Detailed Explanation

In 'Mirror', Sylvia Plath personifies a mirror to explore themes of self-reflection and identity. The mirror, described as 'silver and exact', represents an unbiased observer, reflecting reality without distortion. It meditates on a pink speckled wall, symbolizing familiarity and routine. The transition to a lake introduces a woman searching for her true self, highlighting the mirror's role in revealing unfiltered truth. The woman, dissatisfied with her reflection, turns to deceptive sources like candles and the moon, symbolizing illusions or false perceptions. The mirror reflects her faithfully, yet she rewards it with tears, indicating her struggle with aging and self-acceptance. The poem concludes with the image of a young girl drowned and an old woman rising like a 'terrible fish', capturing the relentless passage of time and the inevitable transformation of identity. Plath's use of vivid imagery and personification underscores the tension between appearance and reality, and the mirror's impartiality contrasts with the woman's emotional turmoil.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
preconceptions	biases	ideas formed beforehand	pre-kon-sep-shuns
unmisted	clear	not clouded	un-mis-ted
truthful	honest	telling the truth	trooth-ful
meditate	focus	think deeply	med-i-tate
speckles	spots	small marks	spek-uls
flickers	changes	moves unsteadily	fli-kers
reaches	depths	far parts	ree-chiz
agitation	restlessness	nervous movement	aj-i-tay-shun
replaces	substitutes	takes the place of	ree-plays-es
drowned	submerged	sunk under water	drownd
terrible	frightening	causing fear	ter-i-bul