Mirror By Sylvia Plath

Title:

• One word: emphasises both the object, the theme of the poem, the message behind the poem plus reflects the obsession women have with their appearance.

Themes:

• Growing old.

• Appearance.

• Suicide of Poet.

• Bulimia of Poet.

• Criticism on society.

Language:

• Natural and domestic.

• 'Swallow.' Unpleasant descriptions, natural, reflex.

• 'In me she has drowned a young girl.' Objective, judgemental and critical.

• Lake: Depth of character and depth of water.

• First person.

• Personification of mirror and of lake.

• 'Faces and darkness separates us...' Passage of time.

• Desperation in second stanza.

• Religious: 'Candles, Moon, a little God.'

• Double meanings: 'Rewards me with tears…