Mirrors and Daffodils

217. “The Lipstick on the Mirror” by Tom Disch (pg 283)

            The poem uses the obvious allusion to “Snow White” by incorporating the magic mirror and the Evil Stepmother, or, as she is referred to in this poem, the “Wicked Queen”.  The allusion conveys the idea that the deed that the mirror and queen are committing together is one of evil and treachery, like in the classic story. However, the point of the allusion is not just to reference the story.  The mirror is also personified.  The mirror reports the reflection, or appearance, of the queen. The other women’s mirrors tell them that they should look exactly like the queen. The compact mirrors whisper to the women, “Crone, you’d seem chiseled of the same Parian/ With a milder soap, a better dentrifice. / Try these. Buy this. Inhale her fragrance” (13-15). This personification demonstrates how women depend on matching the reflection of other women, as well as the importance that women place on image. They listen to the reflection of someone else to feel beautiful. Another literary device used in this poem is the simile. One example is “In powders and vials the Wicked Queen’s/ Essence was suffused like a scentless gas/ Throughout her realm, democratizing/ Vanity” (29-32). Comparing the essence of the Queen to some sort of poisonous gas wonderfully illustrates the effect that the need to appear beautiful has on women: it makes them vain. It is inhaled inconspicuously, without a scent.

I enjoyed this poem because I believe it to be true. The poem is a social commentary against the vanity of women.  It highlights the ridiculousness of women’s obsession with image. Women will gladly reflect the image of a “queen,” just so that they can feel like they too are royal. I particularly enjoyed the ending.  Although all of the women in her “realm” were striving to appear exactly like her, the mirror still reports that the queen is the fairest of them all. This goes to show that wanting to appear as someone other than yourself gets you nowhere. Being an individual is much more important than reflecting the latest fashion.

295. “I wandered lonely as a cloud” by William Wordsworth (pg 343)

            The literary devices in the poem help illustrate how the simple things in life, such as the beauty of nature, can inspire and fill a heart with pleasure. The poem starts with the simile, “I wandered lonely as a cloud/ That floats on high o’er vales and hills” (1-2). Right away, the author is comparing himself to a part of nature. He also describes the abundance of golden daffodils as being “Continuous as the stars that shine” (7).  By comparing everything to nature, it demonstrates the idea that everything is connected to a part of nature. The author also uses personification to give life to aspects of nature. For example, he describes the daffodils as “tossing their heads in a sprightly dance” (12). He also personifies the waves, stating that “The waves beside them danced; but they outdid the sparkling waves in glee” (13-14). Through personification he creates a sort of competition between the dances of the waves and daffodils, coming to the conclusion that the daffodils had more glee. At the end of the poem, he personifies his heart, stating that it dances with the daffodils at the thought of the solitude in nature. The combination of similes and personification creates imagery.  It is very easy to visualize the golden daffodils on the bay, dancing beside the sparkling waves. All of this adds to the central idea that simple things in nature have the power to inspire and bring pleasure to an individual.

            I thought that the poem was full of great description.  The similes and personification created an imagery that was crystal clear, and I was able to see everything that Wordsworth was describing. It made me think about the true beauty behind nature. Something as simple as daffodils in the breeze has enough power to make anyone’s day a bit brighter. Above everything else, this poem made me miss summer and spring…. stupid snow.