Response To The Mirror Essay, Research Paper

By just reading the profound poem Mirror by Silvia Plath I am currently in a moment of weakness. As clich? as it might sound, it is utterly true. It is one of those pieces that will pull you in deep, but won?t release until it is good and ready. It is that telling. It speaks the truth. By truly appreciating what Sylvia has presented, I will try to interpret every line.

She first describes the mirror, it doesn?t stereotype, and whatever approaches is neutral. The image quickly appears without a hint of second-guessing, the mirror does not dismiss or like the image, again it stays neutral. It doesn?t exacerbate the object just sees and spews it back the way it is. These last details given by Plath are extremely brilliant. There is a vision of a woman bending over, trying to adjust her imperfections, somehow making them less visible. Making the mirror seem like an evil, Plath suggests it is like a mere candle or moon, where there is mystery present, and no sign of truth is to be told.

Again there is another simple image, an image easily shown truthfully, and the simplicity of a back of a woman. The poem says ?faithfully? prompting the speaking of the truth, leading to absolute disappointment. Soon there are tears developed, ?She rewards me? hardly. Sure the tears speak of rewarding based solely on honestly and truthfulness. Not based on content with the image. The most important line of this piece is ?I am important to her. She comes and goes.? This is beautifully put. This is extremely profound yet so easy to relate to. There is a necessity of having a mirror. It speaks the harsh reality of society. It shows what to correct, what to dismiss.

I truly embrace the last two lines of this poem. Even though the mirror is the utter enemy, the woman comes back repeatedly. This shows how much it is needed. Years go by staring at this object looking for answers. Apparently, the woman didn?t take the honesty gracefully; she thus aged to a terrible fish.

This was an extremely philosophical and weighty piece. I find myself relating to every line one way or another. Most people do. It was tragic, but brutally honest.