Odisha State Board CHSE Odisha Class 12 Approaches to English Book 2 Solutions Poem 4 Mirror Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.
CHSE Odisha 12th Class Alternative English Solutions Poem 4 Mirror
Pre-Reading activity:
Every one of us looks into a mirror everyday. In which way(s) is a mirror useful to us. Can you list them here? You are about to read a poem named Mirror. Can you guess what this poem tells the reader? Now read the poem and find out.
Notes On The Poet:
Sylvia Plath (1932-1963) in her life, as in her poetry, tried to fuse the role of‘Muse, Mother and Poet”. Her poetry is intensely perporial and powerfully confessional. Notable among her works age. “The Cotossues” (1960) and “Ariel” (1965). In the poem“Mirror” Plath shows how the mirror reflects more than mere images.
Questions For Discussion:
Question 1.
Who is the speaker in the poem?
Answer:
The mirror is the speaker in the poem.
Question 2.
What are the two things that the mirror in the poem reflects?
Answer:
It reflects both love and dislike.
Question 3.
Why is the mirror called the “eye of little God”?
Answer:
The mirror is called the “eye ofa little God” because it accepts reflection whatever it sees.
Question 4.
Why could the poet mean when she says”
“Now I am a lake……….”
Answer:
The poet means that the mirror is a tiny lake which accepts anything that comes its way. It also reflects things exactly like a lake without prejudice.
Question 5.
Why are the candles and moon “liars”
Answer:
The candles and the moon are “liars” because the candles and the moon do not speak of exactly what a women is.
Question 6.
How does the woman react to her reflection in the lake?
Answer:
The woman bends over the mirror lake and searches for what she really is and then turns to the liars.
Question 7.
Would our views of the aging women different if she instead of the mirror had narrated the story?
Answer:
The view would have been different if the aging women instead of the mirror had narrated story. The aging woman would have been a liar.
Question 8.
Here the poet uses at least three of the poetic devices: personification, metaphor and simile. Identify the times where these figures of speech are used.
Answer:
Personification: – “……………… I have no preconceptions\ ……………..I see I swallow immediately………………”.
Metaphor: “I am silver …………….”.The eye of a little god”, “Now I am a lake”
Smile: “Rises towards her day after day.
Like a terrible fish.
Question 9.
“………………….. and in one an old woman rises towards her day after day, like a terrible fish”. What is the significance of the image of a “terrible fish” here?
Answer:
The image of a “terrible fish” stands for the slow movement of time and death which are quite immediate.
Question 10.
Do you agree that the mirror in this poem reflects more than mere images? How sow?
Answer:
The mirror in this poem reflects more than mere images. It speaks the truth; it makes women search for the exactness.
Question 11.
Notice that the first stanza of he poem begins with “I can silver and exact” and the second stanza begins with “Now I am a lake”. Do these two autobiographical statements of the mirror contradict each other? It so, how are they reconciled in the poem?
Answer:
These two autobiographical statements. “I am silver and exact” and “Now I am lake” are two contradictory statements of the mirror. But both these statements and their ideas have reconciled the poem. It indicates that the mirror has two personalities. It is exact and faithful and at the same time profound and deep like a lake. It sometimes deceives in depth and is hence dangerous.
Composition:
Question 1.
Write an appreciation of the poem “Mirror” beginning with a statement of he theme and then proceeding to analyse the poem by lines along with your views regarding their communicative value (= how effectively the lines with their images and other poetic devices. If any communicate an idea). The conclusion would sum up the salient features of the poem and end with your general assessment of the poem.
Answer:
The poem“Mirror” is composed by Sylvia Plath, and eminent and out standing poet of the twentieth century. In her unique approach in English poem, plath is really superb and fantastic. The poem deals with something spectacular about mirror. The mirror as a reflecting device does something more than mere reflection. However, the poem is written in first person narrative giving an auto biographical sketch of the inanimate objects. Of course, the poem reflects life in mirror.
The barrier of the non-living things and rises above the personified in the poem to which human qualities have been attributed. It says that it is silver and exact. It neither exaggerates nor condemns, neither magnifies nor belittles. It speaks of as is it. Treats love and hatred alike. It is unprejudiced and truthful. It is the eye of a little god “The eye of a little god” is a metaphorical expression which tells that it is bright and truthful. Moreover, the second stanza is a continuance of the first one.
The mirror says that it meditates on the opposite wall. It is pink with speckles. Faces and darkness separate them over and over and now it is a lake. It says “Now I am a lake. A woman bands over it searching its reaches for what she really is. Then she turns to those liars – the candles and the moon. It sees her back and reflects it faithfully. She awards it with tears and an agitation of hands. Each day, she has drowned a young girl and in it an old woman rises towards her day after day like a terrible fish.
As a matter of fact the poem is unique attempt at making an imaginative and a thoughtful approach to life. The poet attributes human qualities to the living and non-living things. The approach and technique of the poem are balanced and impressive. On the whole, the poem is most inspiring, elevating and heart-touching.
Question 2.
Basing on what you know of the relationship between the Mirror and the Wall in the poem. Write a dialogue between them on the subject of the world around them.
Answer:
The wall – Good Morning, Miss Mirror
The mirror – Good morning Mr. Wall. How are you?
The wall – Fine, thank you – How are you?
The mirror – Fine, thank you. Why do you look so pensive today? What’s the matter?
The wall – It’s because I didn’t see you yesterday where’d you been?
The mirror – I’s in the bathroom the whole day.
The wall – I haven’t seen himself the whole day.
The mirror – You haven’t seen yourself.
The wall You myself. I seen myself in you everyday. Don’t I?
The mirror – You see yourself in me ! What do you mean?
The wall – Very simple Don’t people see themselves in you?
The mirror – Yes they do. So what?
The wall – I also see myself in you exactly like that. This is what I do every day.
The mirror – No only you, everything and every bring do the same, don’t they?
The wall – Yes, of course. But there’s a difference.
The mirror – What is it?
The wall – Aren’t you feeling me in the room?
The mirror – Yes, I am. There is a lot of things that face me in the room. Chairs, tables, lights and so on.
The wall – But you are vis-a-vis me, aren’t you?
The mirror – Yes, I’m. So also you.
The wall – I do admit it. Therefore, I see myself in you.
The mirror – You see yourself in me, but I don’t see myself in you!
The wall – No, you don’t, you reflect me and I see myself.
The mirror – Why don’t you reflect me in you?
The wall – No, I don’t reflect anything.
The mirror – Oh! you only take from others, you don’t give.
The wall – Not exactly, I neither take nor give. I’m quite unconcerned.
The mirror- Is it?
The wall – Yes it is.
Mirror Summary in English
The mirror lays that is silver and exact. It has no preconceptions. Whatever it sees it accepts into its delicate surface and produce just as it is. It is unmisted by Love or dislike. It accepts everything be it a thing of love or hatred. It is not cruel. It is truthful. Most of the time-it meditates on the opposite wall. It is pink with speckles. The person who wishes to get his reflection through it looks at it and thinks it as a past of his heart. Faces and darkness separate the on looker and the mirror over and over. The mirror is a lake. A woman bends over it searching her reaches for what she really is. Then she turns to these liars, the candles or the moon. She rewards it with tears and an agitation of hands. It is important to her, she comes and goes. Each morning her face replaces the darkness. She has drowned a young girl and an old woman rises from it towards her(the young girl).
Analytical Outlines:
- The mirror says that it is silver and exact.
- It has no preconceptions.
- It has delicate surface.
- It accepts what it sees.
- It produces just as it is.
- It is unmisted by love.
- It is also unmisted by dislike.
- It accepts everything.
- It may be love.
- It may be hatred.
- It is not cruel.
- It is truthfull.
- Most of the time, it meditates on the opposite wall.
- It is pink with speckles.
- A person wishes to get his reflection.
- He looks at it.
- He thinks it as a part of his heart.
- Faces and darkness separate the onlooker and mirror over and over.
- The mirror is a lake.
- A woman bends over it.
- She searches her reaches for.
- She searches in it what she really it.
- Then she turns to those liars.
- She turns to the candles.
- She turns to the moon.
- She rewards it with tears.
- She rewards it with an agitation of hands.
- It is important to her.
- She comes and goes.
- Each morning, her face replaces the domes.
- Each morning her face replaces the darkness
- She has drowned a young girl.
- An old woman rises from it towards her.
Meaning Of Difficult Words:
preconceptions- opinions formed before knowing actual facts.
accept – to receive, to agree to
delicate- pleasing, graceful, tender
unmisted- not prejudiced, unaffected
hatred- disliking
cruel- pitiless, savage, severe, painful
meditate- consider deeply
speckles- sports
agitation- disturbance
domes- a rounded vault
flickers- flashing on and off quickly, agitation of
hands- waving of hands.