was written in 1961 byand published posthumously by Ted Hughes in
1971. The poem was written during a period of change in Plath's life; she was a new mother
struggling with the realities of marriage, aging, and societal expectations. It is apoem with
strong feminist influences that explores the perception of appearances, narcissism, and
self-perception. Much of this feminist influence is driven by the time-period in which the poem
was written; in the early 1960s the feminist movement was rapidly growing and an increasing
number of women were challenging traditional gender roles and barriers.
In
Mirror , Plath explores how identity is drawn from outward appearance. The
speaker is the mirror itself, which states that "I have no preconceptions" and "I
am not cruel, only truthful." The mirror implies that it is a neutral party; an object
whose identity is drawn not from itself but from what is reflected in it. However, in the second
stanza the reader is shown...
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