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Comment 67 of 67, added on February 16th, 2009 at 8:53 PM.
That is "troublous wringing of hands."
J. M. Y. from United States
Comment 66 of 67, added on February 16th, 2009 at 1:13 PM.
Ste. UK is entitled to his/her own opinion of Americans, but I assume that
the purpose of this section is to offer commentary on the poem, itself.
The use of the mirror and other mirror-like images (the metaphorical lake
in stanza 2) are familiar Plath devices. She does something similar in
"Child," where she compares the eye of the child to a pool in which she
sees, of course, her own reflection. And while Ste. UK's reference to
Narcissus is not completely off base, Plath's later poetry always has a
confessional bent to it, so that each piece, especially in the Ariel
collection is an intense look at herself. The poem is merely the vehicle
to examine herself, and she always sees the flaws, always sees the
depression, even in the poems that start off a bit lighter on the face of
it. In stanza 2, that "agitation of hands" is likewise reminiscent of
"Child," where she refers to a "troubled wringing of hands."
Jim from United States
Comment 65 of 67, added on January 24th, 2009 at 3:32 PM.
This wasn't, obviously, mentioned, and I would like to settle the
interpretation of the poem. Sylvia Plath was bulimic. The concept of the
mirror is her (in)ability to control her need to rid herself of her
'aging'.
with this in mind; reread the poem;
"I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions.
Whatever I see I swallow immediately
Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike.
I am not cruel, only truthful --
The eye of a little god, four-cornered.
Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall.
It is pink, with speckles. I have looked at it so long
I think it is part of my heart. But it flickers.
Faces and darkness separate us over and over.
Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me,
Searching my reaches for what she really is.
Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.
I see her back, and reflect it faithfully.
She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands.
I am important to her. She comes and goes.
Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness.
In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman
Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish."
note the last four lines as they seem to emphasize her bulimia.
I, personally, love Plath's poetry, and the way she manages to obscure her
pain into her lavish poetry is what made Plath, so unique; her issues and
troubles made her the writer she was..
Ragnar from Iceland
Comment 64 of 67, added on January 13th, 2009 at 1:13 AM.
I like this poem because it makes me a happy human being :)
Nirav Devnani from United Arab Emirates
Comment 63 of 67, added on September 30th, 2008 at 9:25 AM.
The meaning of this poem, to me, is simple. Everyday this woman stares into
the mirror hoping to see something different, but everyday all she sees is
how her life is passing her by and how she ages. It depresses her because
she longs to be young again.The last two lines clearly mean that she sees
her youth slipping away from her as age replaces it. Age is something this
woman is clearly afraid of or dreading. The mirror shows the woman no lies,
as the world does. It gives her a clear image of who she realy is and thats
what she doesnt like. She searches the mirror to find something different
but comes out with nothing but time passing her by.
Nikki from United States
Comment 62 of 67, added on September 24th, 2008 at 3:47 AM.
Interesting interpretation though there is no need to be so smug "Ste UK".
What amuses me about what you have typed is that you have the cheek to
comment on Americans but as a Brit you have terrible grammer.
Joe from United Kingdom
Comment 61 of 67, added on September 22nd, 2008 at 3:05 PM.
hey WHOA Ste UK, american's can be pricks but i think it is time to get
over this little grudge you have on america and not judge every single
person you sunovabitch
just sayin from Canada
Comment 60 of 67, added on February 20th, 2008 at 8:23 PM.
What is the meaning of the last two lines???
I don't want to know what they mean,
I want to know why she put them last and how it effects the rest of the
poem.
javier robles from United States
Comment 59 of 67, added on September 14th, 2007 at 1:02 PM.
i'm doing a presentation in my engligh 3 class and i have read so many
outlooks on this poem. it totally stinks its really stupid but i do
understand it and plath is absolutley crazy
Brittany from United States
Comment 58 of 67, added on June 14th, 2007 at 7:59 AM.
Is anyone else doing A Level English? If so, I just got the pre-release
material and this is one of the texts! So basically I have till Tuesday to
research and know all there is to know about it. I love it but it's quite
ambiguous.
Lotti from United Kingdom
This poem has been commented on more than 10 times. Click below to see the other comments.
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That is "troublous wringing of hands."
J. M. Y. from United States