Mirror by Sylvia Plath Comprehension and Analysis

What do you think is being described?

• a silver ring

• a mirror

• a throat

• water

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

What statement about the mirror is true based on these lines?

• The mirror distorts reality to create illusions.
• The mirror reflects reality truthfully and without bias.
• The mirror only reflects positive images.
• The mirror is biased and selective in what it shows.

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CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Which two lines from the poem support the statement, "The mirror reflects reality truthfully and without bias"?

• Faces and darkness separate us over and over.
• I am not cruel, only truthful –
• I have no preconceptions.
• It is pink, with speckles.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Make an inference based on the poem: What can make the mirror cruel?

• The truth it reflects.
• The frame surrounding it.
• The light it reflects.
• The angle at which it is viewed.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

What does the phrase “The eye of a little god” suggest about the mirror’s personality?

• The mirror has a powerful and truthful personality.
• The mirror has a whimsical and playful personality.
• The mirror is deceptive and misleading.
• The mirror is indifferent and emotionless.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Reread lines 6–9. How does the mirror feel about its daily view?

• The mirror feels connected to the wall, but there always seem something that keeps them apart.

• The mirror feels joyful and excited about its reflections.
• The mirror is indifferent and does not care about what it sees.
• The mirror feels angry and frustrated with its daily view.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

What does the line “But it flickers” mean? How does this make the wall different from the mirror’s heart?

• The wall is more reflective than the mirror.
• The mirror shows emotions while the wall does not.
• The wall is unstable and uncertain, while the mirror is constant and truthful.
• The wall is a solid structure, unlike the mirror.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

In the second stanza, the mirror compares itself to a ______.

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CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Reread line 13. If the candles and the moon are “liars,” why does the woman turn to them? How does this metaphor reveal the mirror’s perspective?

• The candles and the moon provide a clear view of her identity, contrasting with the mirror's deception.
• The woman turns to the candles and the moon for a distorted view of herself, revealing the mirror's role as a truthful reflection of her identity.
• The woman seeks the truth from the candles and the moon, showing her confidence in their honesty.
• She turns to the candles and the moon for guidance, believing they reflect her true self.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

In this stanza, why is the woman agitated that the mirror reflects her “faithfully”? Why does she keep returning to the mirror?

• She believes the mirror shows her a different identity each time.
• The woman is pleased with her reflection and enjoys looking at herself.
• The woman is agitated because the mirror reflects her true self, and she keeps returning to confront her reality.
• The woman is agitated because the mirror is broken and doesn't reflect properly, but she keeps returning to it since she had no other way of knowing.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9