"Mirror" Outline

Thesis: Silvia Plath personifies the mirror in “Mirror,” through rigid syntax and precise imagery giving it a voice that simultaneously comments on the unyielding reality of aging and the inevitable wistfulness we feel for our past selves.   

The parallel structure of the two stanzas set up a contrast between the mirror of the young girl and that of the old woman, demonstrating that although the mirror itself remains unchanged, one’s perception of the world develops with age.

• The mirror initially describes itself as very rigid: “I am silver and exact” (line 1). The matter-of-fact voice carries no emotion for either the woman or her life; the sentence is simple, stating the obvious. This rational, emotionless tone is carried throughout the first stanza; the mirror represents the superficiality of youth.  

• As the woman ages, the mirror changes its self-perception: “Now I am a lake” (line 10). Again, the stanza begins with a very abrupt and straightforward sounding claim. However, this image of a “lake” begins to change the tone. A lake is full of life, always changing. In the second stanza, the mirror has begun to take on a life of its own, carrying emotion for the woman it reflects.

The repetition of specific words in the two stanzas forces the reader to notice how the meaning and context of these words have changed, thereby further reflecting on the differing views that come with age.

• The mirror comments that its view of the pink speckled wall is obscured as “Faces and darkness separate [them] over and over” (line 9). The faces in the mirror are grouped with the darkness; they do not matter, they merely obscure the mirror’s view of its surroundings. This represents a very superficial outlook on life, one in which specific people are simply a distraction.

• Later, the mirror comments that “Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness” (line 16). Not only does the woman become dependent on the mirror, but the mirror becomes dependent on the woman. The face of the woman has taken primary importance; the person is now more important to the mirror than the room it sits in. The woman’s perception of life, as shown through the mirror’s reflection, has become more personal.

At the end of the poem, Plath further develops the comparison between the mirror and the lake, adding a more sinister element to the regret one feels as they age. 

• The mirror tells the reader of the old woman: “In me she has drowned a young girl” (line 17). The woman did not lose or forget herself as a young girl; she “drowned” her. There is no coming back from death, and there is no way to reverse aging. There is a sense of finality and tragedy associated with drowning, and this is also how the woman interprets the loss of her youth. 

• In the mirror, the woman looking at her reflection finds that “an old woman / Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish” (lines 17-18). Fish are cold and slightly disturbing. The reality of the woman’s reflection approaches her and confronts her face-to-face, forcing her to accept that she has grown older. Yet she is still drawn to the mirror “day after day,” proving that although she does not like what she sees, she cannot help but look.

"Ballad of Birmingham" Outline

Thesis: Dudley Randall’s simplistic word choice and rhythmical structure in “Ballad of Birmingham” starkly contrast the violent imagery, establishing an ironic commentary on the brutality of the Birmingham bombing and forcing the reader to generate his own righteous anger.

The rhythmical structure of the poem contributes to the poem’s irony; although it sounds upbeat, the poem tells of a tragic bombing.  

• When her child asks to participate in the Freedom March, the mother repeatedly tells her, “No, baby, no, you may not go” (line 5 and line 13). The repetition of this line is reminiscent of the chorus of a song; it is simplistic yet represents an underlying theme, in this case the mother’s love. She cares for the safety of her daughter, her rhythmical words soothing. The readers expect her to be able protect the girl because the words lull them into a false sense of security.  

• The girl is forbidden from marching “For the dogs are fierce and wild / And clubs and hoses, guns and jails / Aren’t good for a little child” (lines 6-8). The rhyme scheme and the simple word choice in the mother’s claim that the march is not “good for a little child” generate a feeling of discomfort and unnaturalness. The author describes the atrocities being committed with such a light and matter-of-fact tone that the reader begins to question what is going on.

The irony in the poem establishes the idea that even a safe place can be destroyed by violence and hate.

• The mother tells her daughter, “But you may go to church instead / And sing in the children’s choir” (lines 15-16). By this point, the reader knows that something bad will happen to the child. The mother thinks that by preventing the child from going to the march she will protect her, but the reader knows otherwise.

• The mother is comforted by the knowledge that her daughter is in a “sacred place” (line 22). A church seems untouchable, as if nothing bad can possibly happen there. However, this accepted idea is overturned when the church is bombed. It just does not seem right for something awful to happen in such a place.

Detailed imagery creates a vivid image in the reader’s mind of the little girl, evoking sympathy and shock in response to the bombing.

• The child draws “white gloves on her small brown hands” before going to church (line 19). The white gloves and tiny hands reflect the innocence and vulnerability of the little girl. Randall forces the reader to picture the girl and hopefully form an emotional connection so that the bombing will seem personal and more devastating. 

• Searching the rubble, the mother “clawed through bits of glass and brick / Then lifted out a shoe” (line 29-30). The little white shoe, like the gloves, represents the innocence of the girl. The image of the shoe within the ruins symbolizes the epitome of injustice—an innocent child’s death as a result of fighting. 

Characterizing Prospero in 1.2.70-200

             The predominant aura Prospero gives off in Act 1 Scene 2 is one of egotism. He thinks that he is the most intelligent, most powerful, and most important person on the island. To be fair, he probably is. Prospero is in control of everything going on, and he revels in it. Prospero relishes in the telling of his story to Miranda, ensuring that she pays close attention by continually asking, “Dost thou attend me?” (1.2.96). He paints himself as a man above petty affairs of state; he tells of “being transported / And rapt in secret studies” (1.2.94-5). Prospero feels that his knowledge elevates him to a level above others, and by embracing his passion rather than making excuses for his inattention to the state, he shows that he still believes in his power. Indeed, he admits that the books Gonzalo provided him he “prize[d] above [his] dukedom” (1.2.200). He essentially considers his personal knowledge more important than the people he ruled. Prospero refers to Antonio as “The ivy which had hid my princely truck / And sucked my verdure out on ’t” (1.2.105-6). This again shows Prospero’s self-absorption. Trees are often associated with knowledge, and ivy is a type of weed. Prospero creates this image of Antonio sneaking up and choking the life out of him, the life he deserves because of his vast knowledgebase. Prospero continues this metaphor of himself as a tree of knowledge, describing how Antonio “extirpate[d],” or uprooted, him from his dukedom (1.2.149). Throughout his story, Prospero alludes to (or blatantly describes) his intelligence and image of self-importance.  

Prospero may be confident and narcissistic, but there is no denying his cleverness. Perhaps his shrewdest action is accepting some of the blame himself. He admits that by “neglecting worldly ends,” he gave Antonio the opportunity to taste power and foster a desire for more of it (1.2.109). However, his self-deprecation serves almost as a distraction from his own shortcomings. Had Prospero completely blamed his brother for everything and claimed total innocence on his own part, the audience would have been skeptical. They would have begun to analyze his actions and perhaps question his judgments and perceptions. Instead, Prospero comes off as the good guy who was taken advantage of by his conniving brother. The audience sympathizes with him because it sounds like he is partially excusing his brother. Clearly he is not doing any such thing, seeing as he has just raised a tempest to trap Antonio on the island. Furthermore, although he acknowledges his own role in bringing on the usurpation, Prospero still refers to Antonio as traitorous. Prospero shows not only his ego but also his cleverness in this scene.   

The Tempest as Shakespearean Comedy

The Tempest fits right in with the criteria for a Shakespearean comedy. Prospero plays the role of the comic individual. First of all, there is no denying that he is partially to blame for the unfortunate situation he finds himself in. Prospero’s brother, Antonio, usurps his dukedom and casts Prospero out to sea with his daughter Miranda. However, Antonio would not have had this opportunity had Prospero not neglected his duties. Prospero’s obsession with books and learning leads to his downfall; he even admits to Miranda, “The government I cast upon my brother / And to my state grew stranger, being transported / And rapt in secret studies” (1.2.93-5). Prospero recedes into his books, thereby losing sight of what is important in his life: ruling over Milan. Although he loses sight of reality by immersing himself in learning, Prospero still maintains his rationality. Perhaps the most important sign that he remains a reasonable character is the fact that he can reflect on his past decision and realize that his neglect for his dukedom provided Antonio with the chance to establish a foothold to take power. Throughout the play Prospero continues to make sensible judgments and decisions which demonstrate his rationality, such as paying attention to the death plot against him and requiring Ferdinand to prove himself before marrying Miranda.  

  

The nature of this comedy likewise fits the bill for a Shakespearean comedy in that it focuses on the love and eventual union of Ferdinand and Miranda. The two meet in Act 1 Scene 2 and are taken with each other at first sight, each believing the other to be “divine” (1.2.499). Courtship ensues, leading to the marriage vows in Act 3 and the wedding ceremony in Act 4. However, the final culmination of their union really happens in Act 5 when Alonso gives his blessings to the couple, saying, “Give me your / hands. / Let grief and sorrow still embrace his heart / That doth not wish you joy!” (5.1.255-8). Now that Alonso has witnessed and expressed his approval of Ferdinand and Miranda’s love, the union between them is complete with no more complications. There is approval for the couple from both parties involved. Before this approval, however, Ferdinand and Miranda have to deal with primarily external barriers that threaten their burgeoning love, such as Prospero’s instructions forbidding Miranda from telling Ferdinand her name. Successfully overcoming these barriers, Ferdinand and Miranda are finally united at the end of the play. This plot structure follows the features of a Shakespearean comedy exactly.