6.1 Mirror
Complete textbook exercise solutions — Maharashtra State Board (Balbharati), Grade Six English.
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About the poem
This poem by Sylvia Plath is spoken by a mirror. The mirror says it is truthful and shows things exactly as they are. A woman looks into it every day and sees herself growing old. The poem shows that the truth is sometimes hard to accept.
Key points
- Poet: Sylvia Plath.
- The mirror speaks in the poem (personification).
- It has no preconceptions; it is not cruel, only truthful.
- The woman turns to candles and the moon, which flatter her.
- Figures of speech: metaphor (“Now I am a lake”), simile (“like a terrible fish”), repetition (“over and over”).
- Message: the truth may hurt, but it is always honest.
Words to remember
- preconception – an opinion formed before knowing the facts
- meditate – to think deeply
- speckled – covered with small spots
- faithfully – honestly and exactly
- agitation – a nervous, worried feeling
(i) Can a mirror lie? Why or why not?
No, a mirror cannot lie. It has no likes or dislikes. It shows everything exactly as it is.
(ii) How do you feel when you look at your reflection?
This is a personal-response question. Students should write their own answer.
(i) What does the mirror meditate on most of the time?
The mirror meditates on the opposite wall most of the time. The wall is pink and speckled. The mirror feels the wall is a part of its heart.
(ii) Why does the mirror say it has no preconceptions?
The mirror does not form any opinion in advance. It shows whatever comes before it, exactly as it is. It is not affected by love or dislike. So it says it is not cruel, only truthful.
(iii) Why are candles and the moon called “liars”?
Candlelight and moonlight are soft and dim. In such light, wrinkles and signs of age are not seen. So the woman looks younger than she is. They hide the truth, so the mirror calls them liars.
The mirror reflects the woman faithfully, that is, honestly and exactly. She bends over it to see what she really is. She does not like what she sees, so she turns to the candles or the moon. She cries and is upset. Yet she comes back to it every morning. The mirror shows her that she is growing old day by day.
- (i) “Faces and darkness separate us over and over” — Repetition
- (ii) “Now I am a lake” — Metaphor
- (iii) “like a terrible fish” — Simile
Remember: A simile uses like or as. A metaphor says one thing is another.
The mirror shows us most truthfully. It shows our real face and our real feelings at that very moment. It cannot change or beautify anything.
A camera shows only one moment. We often pose and choose the best photo, so it may not show our true feelings.
AI filters can change our face and make it look better than it is. So it is the least truthful.
Therefore, the mirror is the most honest of the three.
Me: Where did you come from, Mirror?
Mirror: (Creation) I was made from glass with a thin coat of silver behind it.
Me: Were you always like this?
Mirror: (Development) No. Long ago, people looked into still water. Then came polished metal, and later glass mirrors like me.
Me: What makes you happy?
Mirror: (Happiness) When a child laughs at his own face, I feel happy.
Me: What makes you sad?
Mirror: (Sadness) When people see only their faults and cry.
Me: Any funny experience?
Mirror: (Funny experiences) A cat once fought with me all afternoon. It thought there was another cat inside!
Me: Any horrible experience?
Mirror: (Horrible experiences) One night I saw a thief in the house, but I could not shout.
Me: What changes have you noticed?
Mirror: (Changes noticed) Now people look more at their phone screens than at me!
This is a reading and sharing activity. Students should collect and present their own stories.
Magical-mirror stories students may look for: the talking mirror in Snow White · the Mirror of Erised in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone · Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll · the enchanted mirror in Beauty and the Beast · and many mirror tales in Indian folk collections such as the Panchatantra and Vikram–Betal.