Dawn and Dusk

Ok, real quick, today is actually Silvia Plath’s birthday (ya know, the one who wrote this Mirror poem…) So that’s kinda neat! Also I’m definitely not doing a timed write so I’ll just be doing some analysis. Anyway, let’s dive in shall we?

Lets start with what you all already know. The poem comes from the point of view of a Mirror, and by the end it ends up it’s really from the point of view of all objects capable of reflecting. It describes itself as a mirror facing a pink wall in a building, and later as a lake. Reflection here has two meanings, both of physical reflection and mental reflection. While the mirror on its surface simply reflects what it sees, it also proves as an object that people can use to reflect upon themselves. Their actions, thoughts, feelings, lives, events, exc. As the woman comes back to this lake repeatedly to see her reflection, it reveals that through nature, she is able to reflect on herself and where she has been in her life. (ROMANTICISM!!!) Her “tears and agitation of hands” after seeing her reflection suggests that she often isn’t satisfied or happy with how her life has been going, and is frustrated that she doesn’t see what she wants to in her life. However, it is still important to her that she comes and reflects. Her days pass by her as she goes from a young girl to an old woman, and age creeps up on her “like a terrible fish”. This shows that she despises aging, as it doesn’t do any good to her outer nor inner reflection. She is disappointed with herself that as she ages she still hasn’t found the fulfillment or joy she has been seeking.

Another thing I found interesting is that the Mirror seems to represent ultimate “truth”. It describes itself as having no preconceptions, and as being “a little eye of god”. The reflection isn’t “misted by love or dislike”, it simply sees what is there and reflects it. Sure, people like the woman can have opinions on what the reflection is, but at the end of the day the mirror reflects exactly what it sees without any judgement. This can be connected to one of the many “theories of truth”, the Correspondence theory, which states that truth is what corresponds with reality. (In other words, truth is definite and without a lens truth always shines through everything else.) This is very different to 1984, where O’Brien seemed to believe the “Identity theory” of truth, which states that truth is whatever a majority of consciences can agree upon. This poem would have you believe that the Mirror is the ultimate truth, while 1984 would have you believe that there is no ultimate truth at all.

Cheers!