Denotation Basics
What is the denotation of the word mirror?
An object made of glass that reflects images.
What connotation does truthful carry in the poem?
Harsh, unforgiving, blunt.
Replace terrible fish with wise dolphin. How does the tone change?
Becomes gentler, more positive.
What does the mirror symbolize beyond its denotation?
Truth, aging, self-reflection, identity.
The overall tone of the poem is best described as…
Honest, cold, unsettling, melancholy.
What does the word truthful mean in its denotation?
Honest, telling the truth.
The word swallow suggests what connotation?
Destructive, devouring, consuming identity.
Replace swallow with take in. How does tone shift?
Less violent, more neutral.
Why is the lake an important shift from mirror?
Suggests depth, distortion, and emotional weight.
The theme of truth is shown through which word’s connotation?
Truthful → harshness of reality.
Define the denotation of fish.
An aquatic, gilled animal.
What connotation does terrible fish evoke?
Grotesque aging, loss of beauty, fear of self.
Replace truthful with kindly honest. What happens to mood?
Less harsh, more comforting.
What does the woman searching the mirror symbolize?
Fear of aging, desire for identity, loss of youth.
How does connotation of swallow contribute to theme?
Suggests self is consumed by time/age.
What is the denotation of swallow in the poem?
To take in or consume.
The word faithful connotes what in the poem?
Loyal but unfeeling; a cold companion.
Replace faithful with obsessive. How does connotation change?
Suggests unhealthy attachment, darker tone.
What does the terrible fish symbolize?
The grotesque image of aging or loss of beauty.
How do negative connotations in the poem reflect its mood?
They create a sense of dread, loss, and inevitability.
The denotation of lake is?
A large body of water surrounded by land.
What connotation does lake suggest in the poem?
Depth, reflection, hidden truth.
Replace exact with coldly precise. What does this emphasize?
The mirror’s mechanical, detached nature.
How does the mirror’s objectivity contrast with the woman’s subjectivity?
The mirror reflects truth without emotion, while the woman reacts emotionally.
Explain how the connotation of terrible fish supports the theme of identity and aging.
It symbolizes the frightening transformation of self through time, reinforcing loss of beauty and inevitable change.