“Mirror” and “Metaphors” by Sylvia Plath

“Mirror” and “Metaphors” by Sylvia Plath are two poems that address how events occur in the natural course of life. These two almost address opposite ends of the life cycle with the aging process being the focus in “Mirrors” and the creation of new life being the focus in “Metaphors”. The natural course of events in life can be both a challenge and a reward. The feelings of finality and desperation are evident in both poems. “Mirror”, published in 1963, was written towards the end of Sylvia Plath’s life and reflects her concern about growing old as well as losing her youthful beauty and “Metaphors”, published in 1960, was written when Plath was pregnant and not sure if she is happy to be having this baby and interrupting her well organized life. (journal pg 294) As life happens, people are confronted with obstacles and events that test their ability to overcome them and shape the kind of person they are or they wish to become.

The form of both poems is similar, yet different. Both use nine stanzas, “Mirror” having two sections of nine each while “Metaphors” has only one section of nine. “Metaphors” has nine syllables in each line, nine metaphors in the poem, and nine letters in the title (Stewart), which all represent the nine months of pregnancy. The poems are each written in first person narrative using “I”. In “Metaphors” the “I” refers to the person as a woman and the way she feels about her pregnancy. In “Mirror” the “I” refers to the mirror, an inanimate object, describing its existence in the life of a woman, the image that the woman sees when she looks in that mirror and the attitude the woman has about her reflection. Feelings of desperation and finality are each apparent in the poems. “Mirror” describes t...

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