What are two examples of figurative language used in "Mirror" by Sylvia Plath?How can I tell what they mean?

Keep in mind the definition of figures of
speech, which is language that is not meant to be literal, but makes a comparison
between two things which are not alike. Figures of speech include both
similes and metaphors.

The
two most obvious figures of speech in this poem are the opening lines of each
stanza:

I am silver and
exact.

Now I am a
lake.

In order to decipher what these
metaphors may mean, you can answer a few questions:

1. Who
   is the "I" here, or who is speaking?


2. What are some things you
   think about when you think of a mirror and a lake? What attributes of a mirror and a lake might
   the speaker be comparing to herself?


3. What details from the poem
   itself can help you prove your ideas in question #2?


4. How are a
   mirror and a lake similar but different? How might the differences between a mirror and a lake
   show changes the speaker goes through?


5. What details from the poem
   can help you prove your ideas in question #4?

Remember
that though poetry is often ambiguous and certainly
subjective to a reader's point-of-view, you should always use textual clues
to help support your ideas. If you can answer the above questions, you most certainly will have
identified the figures of speech in this poem. Additionally, you will have brought yourself into
the interpretation, which is exactly what poetry calls for.