Sylvia Plath was born on the 27th of October 1932, in Boston Massachusetts. She was raised well by both of her parents until her father caught an illness and died when Sylvia was only eight years old (Newman 15). This catastrophe left the family penniless and her mother had to work as a school teacher in order to support the two children. Meanwhile, Sylvia did very well in school and got straight A's all through high school and went on to attend Smith College, an all girls school in North Hampton, Massachusetts (Newman 15). She was an excellent writer all through college especially in creative writing. A while after, she met her husband Ted Hughes and had one miscarriage and gave birth to two children. Hughes would end up leaving her and have her take care of the children, this is what set Sylvia to the beginning her depression period. Living in London and mothering two infants that needed a great deal of attention while going through the worst winter in a number of years was making it worst for Plath and she could not bear it any longer. Before her death, Sylvia would go to her downstairs neighbor and claim that she was going to die. In a biography of Sylvia Plath Ronald Hayman states "She stood there with bloodshot eyes tears running down her face: .
"I'm going to die. . . and who will take care of my children- (Hayman 3). Finally, On February 11th of 1963 Sylvia Plath committed suicide by consuming sleeping pills and gas inhalation. .
The poem "Mirror- is written from a mirror's perspective, which at first she describes it as being truthful and honest. In the poem it states "most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall. It is pink, with speckles. I have looked at it so long I think it is part of my heart. But it flickers- (Plath) meaning the mirror is usually just overlooking the other wall for most of its years so it is able to give a full detailed description of that opposing wall.