NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8 - Mirror

Please note that you can write a different answer based on how you use the mirror.

A mirror is mainly used to look at ourselves. It helps us check our appearance before we go out. A mirror is used by women to apply makeup and dress up. It is used by men to groom themselves. A mirror is also used in cars and bikes to judge the movement of other vehicles.

Please form groups as per instructions in your classroom and discuss the above question.

This is a discussion to be carried out in the classroom in pairs.

ii. not prejudiced

ii. meditation

i. it reflects back an image objectively

ii. like God it watches you unbiased and fair from all four angles

ii. the opposite wall which has spots on it.

ii. very angry

i. the poem is not only about external beauty but also the inside of a person

The poetic device used when the mirror says 'I swallow' is 'personification'.

Personification means, to give a non-living thing, or any object, human qualities/human traits. In the poem, the mirror, like a human being, is able to speak to the viewer about what it reflects. Just as a human being swallows food and drink, in a similar way, the mirror swallows or takes in everything that is placed before it.

The mirror usually passes its time by meditating on the opposite pink wall.

The mirror's contemplation of the opposite wall is disturbed by the people that come and stand in front of the mirror to view themselves, and the darkness that comes with night.

Like a mirror, the surface of a still, calm lake also has a clear, reflecting surface.

The mirror imagines itself to be a lake. A woman bends over trying to see her reflection in the water. She is 'searching', meaning peering and looking with concentration, trying to observe every detail in the reflection. She is trying to find her true self - who she truly is, in the depths of the lake.

The woman is probably searching in the mirror trying to discern her true self-she wants an unbiased view of who she really is. She is looking for her true identity.

When the woman looks at her reflection in the mirror, she is deeply distressed, as she realizes that she is ageing, and she turns away and looks towards the light of the moon and the candles hoping to find a better reflection of herself. She has tears in her eyes and agitation in her hands.

The woman looks deeply at her reflection and she realizes that she is ageing. She is sad and starts crying because she is growing old and cannot do anything about it. She cannot face the bitter truth that she is growing old.

The 'terrible fish' refers to the image of the ageing woman. It is 'terrible' because, the woman fears the challenges that she might have to face as old age and death slowly draws near.

The poetic device used is a 'simile'.

A fish swimming at a great depth will appear unclear, unreal- you will not be able to see it distinctly. Similarly, when one is young, old age seems a thing of the distant future, something unreal.

As one gets older however, ageing becomes evident- a reality and starts coming closer and closer like the 'terrible fish' rising slowly towards the surface.

The adjectives used to describe the mirror:

silver, exact, not cruel, truthful, important, four cornered.

The other adjectives that can be used:

honest, deep, frank, fair, open, reflecting, impartial, precise and accurate.

In the second stanza, the narrator has replaced the mirror with a lake because she is trying to focus on the 'reflection'. The surface of a lake is clear, calm, and tranquil like a mirror. Although the form from a mirror to a lake has changed, the function hasn't. It is a reflecting surface and the woman is able to look into it and see her reflection.

The various instances of personification used in the poem are:

• I have no preconceptions.
• Whatever I see I swallow immediately
• I am not cruel, only truthful-
• I have looked at it so long I think it is a part of my heart.
• Now I am a lake.
• I am important to her.
• The eye of a little god

ii. the mirror

iii)they hide the blemishes and make people look beautiful in their soft glow

i. the reality is too harsh for her to bear

This is a sample answer. Please feel free to use your creativity to write a speech based on your imagination and understanding of the poem.

Good Morning dear humans.

I feel honoured to have been given the opportunity to express my feelings and share my thoughts with you. As you know, I have spent my life in faithfully reflecting all that comes before my eyes. I have helped you look good and I have helped you deal with your bad moods. I have tirelessly reflected the essence of your inner self, unbiased. I am honest and loyal to all my onlookers, and proud of not having any favourites. I do not distort reality but in fact prepare the onlookers to face their future. I am hence, an indispensible part of your life.   

This activity needs to be carried out by the students in the class.