Figurative Language
What type of figurative language is “I am silver and exact”?
Metaphor.
The poem mainly explores what natural human process?
Aging.
What color is the wall the mirror looks at?
Pink, with speckles.
Where was Sylvia Plath born and where did she grow up?
She was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up in Wellesley.
How many stanzas are in the poem?
The poem has two stanzas
What type of figurative language is used in “Whatever I see I swallow immediately”?
Personification.
The mirror represents what major idea in the poem?
Truth and reality.
What two light sources does the woman turn to instead of the mirror?
Candles and the moon.
What major event happened when Plath was 8 years old that influenced her writing?
Her father passed away.
Who is the speaker of the poem?
The speaker is the mirror itself
“The eye of a little god” is an example of what device?
Metaphor.
Why does the woman turn to “candles or the moon”?
She turns to softer lighting because it makes her appearance look gentler and less harsh than the honest reflection of the mirror.
What natural object does the mirror compare itself to later in the poem?
A lake.
At what age did Sylvia Plath publish her first poem?
She published her first poem when she was only 8 years old
Why is first-person narration important in this poem?
First-person narration makes the mirror seem alive and powerful
What device is used in “love or dislike” to show contrast?
Antithesis.
What does the drowning of the “young girl” symbolize?
It symbolizes the loss of youth.
What word describes the fish at the end of the poem?
Terrible.
Where did Plath go to college, and how did she perform academically?
She attended Smith College and graduated with highest honors in English.
Why is it important that the poem is written in free verse (no rhyme or strict pattern)?
The lack of rhyme or structure makes the poem feel honest and direct, which matches the mirror’s claim that it only tells the truth.
In “like a terrible fish,” what literary device is used AND what does it compare?
Simile.
How does the poem connect self-perception and identity?
The woman looks into the mirror searching for who she really is, showing that her sense of identity is strongly connected to how she sees herself physically.
What action does the mirror say happens to the “young girl”?
She has “drowned.”
What type of poetry is Plath most known for?
She is known for confessional poetry.
Why is it significant that the poem ends with the image of a “terrible fish” instead of directly stating the woman is afraid of aging?
Ending with a strong image instead of a clear statement makes the fear of aging feel more powerful and visual, leaving the reader with a disturbing final impression.