“Seeing Myself: The Man In The Mirror Poem
The Man in the Mirror poem is about a man who thinks that if he changes himself, he will be able to change the world as well. His main focus is on his struggle to improve himself.
The poet realizes that everyone is suffering in the world while I live a comfortable life. Here a question arises: how can we bring about changes in the world, and how can we serve society? In this poem, Dale Wimbrow discusses his ideas about the man in the mirror.
Man in the Mirror
When you get all you want and you struggle for self,
and the world makes you king for a day,
then go to the mirror and look at yourself
and see what that man has to say.
For it isn’t your mother, your father or wife
whose judgment upon you must pass,
but the man, whose verdict counts most in your life
is the one staring back from the glass.
He’s the fellow to please,
never mind all the rest.
For he’s with you right to the end,
and you’ve passed your most difficult test
if the man in the glass is your friend.
You may be like Jack Horner and “chisel” a plum,
And think you’re a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum
If you can’t look him straight in the eye.
You can fool the whole world,
down the highway of years,
and take pats on the back as you pass.
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
if you’ve cheated the man in the glass.
FAQS
The poem “Man in the Mirror” is about self-reflection and the introspective process of examining one’s own actions and characters
A mirror poem is called a “specular poem” or a “mirror reflection poem.” It involves using a reflective surface, like a mirror, as a metaphor to explore deeper meanings.
The poem uses mirrors as a metaphor to convey that people should examine their inner selves, acknowledge their flaws, and strive for personal growth and positive change.
The speaker asks this listener to remember throughout their life that they are the only ones whose judgment really matters.
Personification (prosopopeia) is a figure of speech in which human qualities are attributed to an animal, object, or idea. In “Mirror” by Sylvia Plath, for example, the mirror—the “I” in the first line—is given the ability to speak, see, and swallow, as well as human attributes such as truthfulness.
In “Mirror”, the speaker is the mirror itself. In the first line, the mirror introduces itself in the first person, declaring itself “silver and exact” with “no preconceptions”.
The mirror also symbolizes the reflective self-referentiality or self-knowledge of the subject who recognizes herself in the mirror.
