1. “Barbie Doll”
Marge Piercy

2. Discussion How does the tone shift?
What is the purpose of the stanza structure?
How do we interpret the ending?
How is irony used to convey a theme?
What are other important stylistic elements?

3. Write a thesis and one “chunk” (quote + commentary)
Write an essay analyzing Marge Piercy’s use of irony in “Barbie Doll” and explain its effect on the meaning of the work as a whole.

4. Write a thesis and one “chunk” (quote + commentary)
Write an essay analyzing tone, structure, antithesis, and other elements in Marge Piercy’s “Barbie Doll” and explain its contribution to the complexity of the subject.

5. “Mirror”
Sylvia Plath

6. Discussion What is the effect of personification?
How are word choices important here?
What is the effect of the Narcissus allusion?
What role does the conflict between truth and deception play in the poem?
Look at the last line. Is the “terrible fish” perception the woman’s or the mirror’s point of view?
Is the mirror too harsh? Is the mirror limited in her scope of understanding the woman?

7. Write a thesis and one “chunk” (quote + commentary)
Write an essay analyzing the use of literary devices in Sylvia Plath’s “Mirror” and explain how those devices contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.

8. Write a thesis and one “chunk” (quote + commentary)
Write an essay analyzing how point of view in Sylvia Plath’s “Mirror” contributes to the complexity of the speaker and the subject of the poem.