If you will excuse the pun, reflect for a moment on "Mirror." Who is the narrator? What do you think the author is trying to teach us? I encourage you to enter into discussion with your classmates. Do you agree or disagree with their analyses? Due on Monday, September 10, 7 a.m.
Mirror
I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions.
Whatever I see I swallow immediately
Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike.
I am not cruel, only truthful-
The eye of the little god, four cornered.
Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall.
It is pink, with speckles. I have looked at it so long
I think it is a 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,
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 agitation of hands.
I am important to her. She comes and goes.
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.
Whatever I see I swallow immediately
Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike.
I am not cruel, only truthful-
The eye of the little god, four cornered.
Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall.
It is pink, with speckles. I have looked at it so long
I think it is a 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,
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 agitation of hands.
I am important to her. She comes and goes.
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.
By Sylvia Plath
The narrator of this story is the Mirror itself, and it explains what it sees everyday. I think the author is trying to teach us that every one of us is different and that we are who we are. We can't change something about ourselves, because we are our own people.
ReplyDeleteThe narator of this poem is the mirror. The author is trying to explain to us that it is not it's own fault that people are unhappy with their reflections, and that it can't show you anything but yourself. It is unable to change what you look like.
ReplyDeleteI geel that the narrator of this story isn't just a mirror, but actually just the reflection. The author is trying to teach us that sometimes, the truth can be hurtful. A reflection on ourself can be hurtful.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree that the narrator is the reflection. If it was the reflection narrorating, then wouldn't it change based on what the reflection was? If it was reflecting the wall, then wouldn't it be the wall speaking?
DeleteI believe it's the mirror, especially because the narrator describes itself as "I am silver and exact." I don't see a reflection as being silver, but I believe a mirror could very well be silver. The narrator also calls itself four cornered, which is another point that leads me to believe that the mirror is the narrator.
The narrator of this poem is the Mirror. The author of the poem is trying to explain to the reader that what someone sees in the mirror is their true appearance. The reflection is the exact image of their appearance; no one can change what a mirror shows them and mirrors cannot lie. The author is also trying to tell the reader that a mirror only shows what a person looks like on the outside. The author seems to want all of her readers to understand that appearance may be shown by a mirror, but that is simply just a reflection. It is your opinion and thoughts that adds meaning to a reflection. A reflection is meaningless unless someone makes it mean something to them. Everyone must take it into their own hands to make the best of the appearance they have and everyone needs to realize that your appearance shouldn’t be what matters most to you.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator of the poem is the mirror. The mirror is telling u you are who you are and the mirror cant change that. The truth is what you see and sometimes it can be hurtful.
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ReplyDeleteThe mirror is narrating the poem. I believe that the author is trying to say that it can be difficult to accept who you really are. I think that the "tears and an agitation of hands" of the woman show that she is frustrated to find out her true self. The mirror doesn't lie and the woman knows this.
ReplyDeleteSo true, Lida. And the woman uses candles and moonlight to try to soften what she sees in the mirror. When the mirror remains truthful, even in reflecting her back, the woman becomes upset that time has changed her outer appearance.
DeleteI agree that the mirror in the poem is the narrator. It expresses that it is not a cruel or mean being, just truthful. It reflects exactly what it sees. It shows our own flaws, and highlights how unwilling we sometimes are to accept what we truly are or even who we want to be. Instead, we replace these reflections with what we think we need to see. Whether that is conforming to the standards of the rest of the world, or trying gain the acceptance. I believe that what the mirror is trying to explain is that nobody else can be happy with us unless we are happy with ourselves.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator of this poem is a mirror, and he explains what he sees every day. I can tell that he is kind of upset that he does not get to see new things but he must see the same exact thing at the exact same time every single day. The mirror is basically telling us that we must accept us for who we are, like Ben said. We cannot try to change who or what we are, but we must accept ourselves for what we look like and embrace it. The mirror is correct with everything he is saying, and we should start doing what the mirror says.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator of this poem is the mirror, and the author is trying to teach its readers that no matter what your reflection is, it can not be changed and we are our own person and that cannot be changed. We all have to accept who we are as well as lover who we are.
ReplyDeleteShannon camara
ReplyDeleteThe narrator of this poem would be the mirror in itself. I believe that it is trying to tell us the truth about ourselves, being that we are who we are and we can't change that. Also, when the mirror mentions about how she has "drowned a young girl" in the mirror, it leads me to think that the woman looking into the mirror is only a child, or most likely a teen, trying to make herself look older and prettier. However, the mirror is also trying to teach us that if we spend our younger days trying to grow up that it is just time wasted, because there will be a time for that eventually. Lastly, with this I think that the mirror is trying to show us one fatal flaw in humans: self conscienceness. It shows us how dependent the girl is on looking absolutely perfect, and how she will keep doing this as she gets older and older and eventually she will die trying to be perfect, rather than living the short life that we are given to the fullest.
Hannah Gosselin
ReplyDeletei agree with most iof the comments above that the narrator is the mirror, and it isn't judging or hateful, its just truth. It shows your flaws and highlight, from when you are young to an old age.
The mirror is the narrator. What the author is trying to say is that we are who we are, and we can't change it, whether we like it or not. He describes how frustrated the woman becomes as she sees that she has been ravaged by not only time, but by her own insecurity.
ReplyDeleteIn this poem, the mirror speaks the truth about a lady who cannot accept what she actually looks like. Not only is the mirror one mirror, but it is the reflections that follow the lady everywhere. For example, the lake, the mirror in a little girl room, the mirror in the room of a lady, ect. In my opinion, the author is trying to tell us that, no matter what you do to change yourself, you will always reflect back as you. The lady is trying not to accept that she looks the same no matter what she does because of old age insecurity. All people try and do things to themselves so that they look better. However, looking back at your reflection, you will always still be you.
ReplyDeleteIn the poem, the first thing I picked up on was how the author says "I am important to her. She comes and goes.
ReplyDeleteEach morning it is her face that replaces the darkness.
In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman" this could possibly mean that this woman has gone to the mirror every morning since a young girl, and to the woman her image is important to her. When the mirror says "Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon." she is looking at her reflection at night, and the purpose of the candles is to try to change what she is seeing in the mirror, whether to distort it, or to make it appear she is not as what she is constantly seeing in the mirror day after day.
To me, the author is trying to say that no matter what you do, you can't change what you look like and no matter how you try to change your appearance you will ALWAYS see what you really are. The woman is CONSTANTLY trying to see herself as what she isn't, she just can't accept what she really is, no matter how hard she tries.
The mirror is the narrator. It's trying to tell us that it shows us our exact reflection and we need to accept who we really are. The woman in this poem has a hard time grasping who she really is.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator is the mirror of course. The mirror is saying on how he is honest and truthful but his master/owner is afraid of aging and is possibly going through a mid life crisis. The mirror is also saying on how the women is trying to lye to herself by using candles or the moonlight. The message is also very clear and an important one too. The mirror is saying that we as humans should love ourselves and try not to lie to ourselves because no matter how much we look in the mirror we will always see the truth.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator of the poem is the mirror. I believe the author is trying to show us how difficult it is to except who you are. The mirror represents the truth. When you look through a mirror you see what is there. The mirror has no bias, judgment or emotions. It simply reflects who you are on the outside. The woman in this poem is having difficulty accepting her body’s changes over time. She is also upset that the mirror won’t show her what she wants to see. Even after she tries to fool herself with candles and moon light she feels unattractive. Her low confidence level has burdened her since childhood. In conclusion, the author is trying to show us no matter how you look you will never be satisfied, until you are happy with who you are.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator of this poem is the mirror. The mirror is trying to tell you are that you are and that you need to accept that. The woman in this poem has a hard time accepting who she really is. The author is saying that not everyone is perfect and that we need to accept ourselves for who we are. Like Bevin said, the mirror is correct in what he is saying and the world needs to start doing what the mirror is saying to do.
ReplyDeleteThe mirror is the narrator, and I believe the mirror is trying to tell you that he doesn't change your reflection, but that he just shows you what you are. He does not influence you. You influence yourself. The woman did not literally drown a little girl and an old woman, but metaphorically. She drowned the memories of her childhood as she was experiencing it. And then, throughout her life, she came back to drown everything bad that happened in her life. She would constantly cry into the lake, asking the lake why she was cursed with this life.The woman tried to change herself, but to no avail. I believe that the lake itself is a metaphor for the mirror of life, which shows you who you are and nothing else.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator of the poem is the mirror itself. The author is trying to tell us that mirrors are the only truthful things when trying to understand what we look like. Many things can be deceiving but mirrors are never. The author explained to us that the woman tried changing herself although it did not work as she had planned. People need to learn to grasp who they are and that a mirror is one of the only things that can help you with that.
ReplyDeleteby Makayla Lourenco.
DeleteIn this poem, the narrator is the mirror. I think the author is trying to teach us that it is not our looks that matter it is what i on the inside that counts. I think it is also saying we shouldn't obsess about our looks and about growing older. Also, mirrors do not lie to you and what is in the mirror is what you look like, and also how you appear to other people. I think it is a cool way to show someone growing up, because your reflection changes throughout your life.
ReplyDeleteIn this poem, the narrator is a mirror. I believe the author is trying to tell us that we have to be proud of who we are on the inside and not care abut our looks. The woman in the poem obsesses over her looks and is extremely upset that her youth is gone. Also, the poem is saying that mirrors show you how others view you.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator in this poem is the mirror. The mirror is trying to tell you that what you see in its reflection is what is really there. There are no lies and secrets with mirrors. "Searching my reaches for what she really is." The woman in this poem is looking long and hard into the mirror trying to find herself.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the narrator of this poem is a mirror, and also the truth behind it. I also think that the author is trying to get across a few different lessons. The most apparent lesson I saw is that you are who you are. Then I looked more closely at the parts that read: "She rewards me with tears and hands of agitation," and "In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish." This is when I realized that the author also meant that you decide who you are. You need to able to look yourself in the mirror and know you're happy with yourself. The woman in the poem however, can't do that.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator of "The Mirror" the mirror himself/herself. The author is talking about how the girl that uses it does not like the way she looks. Everybody has to accept the way that they look, because they will look the same way their entire lives. This girl feels the negative effects of this.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator is the mirror itself. The author attempts to show that you must accept the way you look, because it is never going to change.The girl in the poem, is unhappy with her apperance. "Searching my reaches for what she really is." This stood out to me as the girl trying to find the way she really does look. The Mirror explains how the girl cannot just except herself when looking into it.
ReplyDeleteIn this poem, the narrator is a mirror.The author is trying to teach us that our looks do not matter. Its about your personality and your "inside" that makes you better than someone else. You can't change what you truly look like. You have to realize it's they way life is. THere is a reason for everything and sometimes you may not like it.The woman did not actually drown a young girl and an older woman. She metaphorically meant that she was drowning the memories of her past.
ReplyDelete- Maya LaFleur
DeleteThe narrator in this poem is the mirror,and what the mirror is trying to say is that people really care about their image. The author is trying to say that people should stop caring about their image."Searching my reaches for what she really is." I agree that your outside image isn't very important because it's the inside that should really count. The mirror has to go everyday with people focusing on what they want to be but not what they are.
ReplyDeleteLauren Garcia
ReplyDeleteThe narrator of this poem is the mirror. The author is trying to teach us we are who we are and we can't do anything to change that. When you look into the mirror you should be happy with your appearance and not try to change that with "the candles or the moon." Although it may be hard to accept, your appearance is a part of you. You shouldn't be ashamed of your appearance even when you get older like the women in the poem had done.
After reconsideration during the afternoon, please disregard my initial post and accept the following as my final post.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator of this poem is the mirror.
The author is teaching us that we do not always recognize the true essence of what we are and what we do. People view us as a mirror does, but we do not always view ourselves in the same way. We view ourselves with “rose colored glasses” or we “candy coat” the reality of what we are and what we do. A mirror does not judge or interpret, it only reflects, and sometimes, the truth hurts.
During the poem, the mirror becomes a lake, which also is capable of reflecting people and realities.
The woman who comes to the lake every day has low self esteem and was never happy with the reflection that the lake provided her. This is demonstrated with her tears and agitation of hands, which is her rubbing her face as she sobs. Because the woman is coming to the lake every day to look at her reflection, and she’s unhappy, over time, she ages, and now she has become old. If she had taken action during the years to improve her reflection and what she wanted to see for herself, the tragedy of “time lost” may not have been realized for her.
Although a preliminary conclusion of this poem may be that we need to accept ourselves for who we are, a more profound meaning is that the mirror does not lie or discriminate and we must work to constantly improve ourselves to the best of our abilities. It may not be about trying to be at the top of your class or out doing your peers, but when you look in the mirror, you must understand that it is about competing with yourself and doing the best that you can to improve.
Ben. Extremely insightful. I think that a common misconception about analyzing poetry is that we must try to see things that simply aren't there. We should only be looking at the poem itself for meaning. Your reconsideration of "The Mirror" reflects the understanding achieved when we read for understanding. All of us should be careful to only work with the words and lines on the page, each of which the poet carefully weighed and considered.
DeleteI also agree with Lauren.I believe the narrator is the mirror.The message of the poem is to be who you are and to not let people judge you.Appearance isn't everything and people focus on it too much.But what the mirror cant see is what is on the inside and that's what counts the most.
ReplyDeleteIn this poem the narrator is the mirror. The author is showing how the girl doesn't accept the fact that she is changing. You can tell by the way the author describes the lady's reaction to her reflection by saying, "She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands." I think the lady is upset because she is growing older. For some people it is hard to realize that they are growing older, and I think the author is trying to teach us that it is okay to grow old.
ReplyDeleteAlong with most of my classmates, I would have to say that the narrator is in fact the mirror. I think the author is trying to tell us that no matter what we think about ourselves, it is who we are. Some people, like the lady in the poem, dont like to accept the fact that her body and her face is changing. It is hard to embrace the changes, but it is a part of life. Most people try to hide the fact that they are aging, but this poem is trying to tell us that it is okay to grow old. Everyone does at some point. Although most of us want that young and energetic child to break through the aging skin, it is important that we realize not to focus so much on our looks and appearences, but just who we are in general. No matter what age you are.
ReplyDeleteIn this poem I think the narrator is the mirror. Although, I think that this mirror shows the truth for what it is. This mirror is able to show the woman her own reflection. it kind of shows a reflection on the young girl she used to be. Also it shows the truth, of what she has become, an old woman who has to try and rise out of her reflection.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator of this poem is the mirror. I believe that the author is trying to tell us that although it may be difficult to accept ourselves, we are who we are and nothing will change that. The woman in the poem is a great example of this. As the woman changes from young to old, it becomes harder for her to embrace her true identy. Although she tries to fool the mirror with candles and moon light, she can not prove herself to be what she once was. The mirror only shows what is actually there. This upsets the woman. It doesn't show what she wants. The mirror only shows the truth. This concludes the author's teaching of accepting what we really look like.
ReplyDeleteThis was By Alexis Emond
ReplyDeleteJon-Luc Jarboe
ReplyDeleteThe narrator of the poem is a mirror. The author is trying to explain that nothing stays the same. An example of this is in the beginning of the poem the mirror is a mirror and later it changes into a lake. This is also shown by the woman’s change in appearance. At the beginning of the poem the woman’s reflection shows youth, “It is pink, with speckles”. But as time passes, “it flickers. Faces and darkness separate us over and over” this represents time. The woman has now aged and sees a different reflection which makes her sad. The narrator is trying to tell us that change will happen.
The narrator of this poem is the mirror. The author is trying to say that things do change. As the women changes from young to old she is upset by here appearance and tries to fool herself. Though the mirror only shows her real appearance and she must accept it, because aging is apart of life.
ReplyDeletethe narrator of the poem is the mirror. the author is trying to tell us that our looks don't matter, we are who we are and there is nothing you can do to change that. the author's choice to use a women was a great choice because women always focus on how they look. the poem is saying that it doesn't matter and that we need to learn to accept what we look like. -Madison Hayes
ReplyDeleteFrom this poem, I believe that the narrator is a mirror. I can conclude this from how the mirror talks about its life living on the wall. Although, the message of the poem is expressed when the mirror describes the woman that looks into its depths. The mirror says how the woman looks at itself and other things that tell her how she looks and what she is, but only the mirror says the truth. This truth is that in the long run you have to face who you are. It is not something that can be twisted or changed. The narrator says how he or she is always truthful in what it shows and makes me think that it is trying to say who you truly are is what shows through no matter how much you try to hide it. I also think that by saying how the mirror is important to the woman who looks in it; a statement is being made about how much everyone cares about appearances. This both shows how narcissistic humans can be and it shows that in some ways by using a mirror to see ourselves we are open to truth. Whether or not we accept that truth like the women crying in the mirror, or turn to others who do not reflect us clearly is up to us.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this poem, I conclude that the narrator of this poem is the mirror itself. The narrator tells the reader that it is truthful. Mirrors are indeed truthful whether the person likes/accepts the truth or not. Furthermore, the mirror is also adding on to this comment by stating that it is not a liar like the moon or a candle. The narrator is saying that you must face the truth of who you really are. In addition, the mirror says that it is important to the lady expressing that this person cares very much about her appearance. This shows how much people truly care about what they look like. However, don't forget, it shouldn't be all about what you look like but rather who you are on the inside. I believe the narrator is also trying to say that you should listen to those who tell the truth instead of those who lie like the candle and moon. Whether it is a friend or a reflection it is very important to always see and hear the truth.
ReplyDeletethe of this poem is a mirror because of the way he describes himself. for example he says that he is truthful and honest. since a mirror can only reflect what is in front of it, it cannot lie. also since the mirror says it usually meditates on the wall opposite it that is what a mirror would do. if it is facing the other wall since it is stuck on its own wall. finally this is why i think that the narrator is a mirror.
ReplyDeleteChandu Kusupati
The mirror is the narrator of this poem. The mirror can only show the truth without deception no matter how ugly the truth can be. The woman is mad because the mirror shows the truth that she cannot accept. The woman tries to tamper with the truth by using candles and moonlight to view her reflection, but both she and the mirror know that she must face the brutal truth that she is getting older. She must learn to face her reflection and accept what she is. The moral of the story is that you cannot hide from the truth; You must face the truth and accept it no matter how ugly.
ReplyDelete