Poetry: "Mirror" by Sylvia Plath



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Class Notes on “Mirror” by Sylvia Plath
Soapstone
Speaker: the mirror
Occasion: reflecting on the woman
Audience: the reader; insecure people; women
Purpose: To explain what the mirror does; to tell the truth about the nature of beauty and illusion; cautionary tale
Subject: the woman; the reflection of the woman; the mirror itself; the ephemeral nature of youth and beauty; the tyranny of self-delusion; the inexorable truth of aging,
Tone!!!!!!!!
First thing you do when you read a poem is read the title!!!
Angry
Stern
Sympathetic
Bitter
Sharp
Cynical
Words that Carry Tone:
Benevolent: Having the qualities of kindness and caring.
(Words that share a common prefix: beneficial, benefit)
Malevolent: not caring, having evil intentions
Vexed: annoyed
Vexation: (noun) annoyance
Poignant: bittersweet
Romantic
Zealous: intense, intently supportive of;
Tone words to describe “Mirror”
Dreamy
Melancholic: lingering sadness or depression; sorrowful;
Poignant
Disinterested: not taking a side; impartial; unbiased “I am silver and exact….I swallow immediately….Just as it is…unmisted by love or dislike…”
Nostalgic
Apathetic: not caring
The eye of a little god
Impartial, not attached on an emotional level
Assignment:
Look and read “Mirror” and look and analyze the poem for literary devices.
Imagery: silver and exact; a lake; a terrible fish
Personification:
Metaphor:
Simile:
What is the tone?
What is the theme? What is Sylvia Plath saying about aging, youth and beauty, the passage of time? How do the literary devices support the theme?

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