Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Paul Muldoon's "The Mirror" is a poignant meditation on memory, loss, and the enduring connection between a father and son, even after death. Written in memory of Muldoon’s father, the poem is steeped in a deep sense of mourning and reflection, capturing the complex emotions that arise when a loved one passes away. The poem is divided into three sections, each of which explores a different aspect of the father-son relationship and the lingering presence of the deceased.

In the first section, Muldoon introduces the "cold paradox" of his father’s death. The speaker grapples with the unsettling reality that, although his father is no longer alive, he remains his father’s son. This paradox is further emphasized by the description of the father as a "remote figure in his Sunday best," a phrase that evokes the distance that death has created between them. The father's funeral is described with a mix of traditional rituals—tears, sherry, whiskey, and tea—interwoven with anecdotes from his past, such as his partnership on the Cork/Skibbereen route in the late Forties. These details paint a picture of a life remembered through small, yet significant, moments, encapsulated by the "splay of Mass cards" on the mantelpiece, which form a crescent around his retirement present. The image of the crescent, often associated with cycles and renewal, subtly hints at the idea of continuity even in the face of death.

The second section shifts to a more personal and intimate memory, revealing that the father’s death was caused by the act of taking down a "monstrous old Victorian mirror." The mirror, with its "ornate gilt frame," becomes a powerful symbol of the past and the weight of memory. The speaker’s childhood fear that the mirror might "swallow me up in one gulp in the middle of the night" suggests a deep-seated anxiety about the unknown and the overwhelming nature of what the mirror represents. The father’s decision to take down the mirror without help, leading to his sudden death, introduces a tragic irony—the very object that reflected his life now marks his end. The speaker's realization that it was "the mirror took his breath away" connects the physical and metaphorical aspects of the father’s death, with the mirror serving as both a literal cause and a symbol of the inescapable past.

In the final section, the speaker takes on the task of finishing the job his father started—"papering over the cracks," "painting the high window," and "stripping the door, like the door of a crypt." These actions symbolize the speaker’s attempt to come to terms with his father’s death, to repair and make sense of the loss. The mirror, which once terrified the speaker as a child, now takes on a new significance as a conduit through which he feels his father's presence. When he imagines his father "breathing through"

 and hears him offer a reassuring whisper—"I’ll give you a hand, here"—the poem reaches its emotional climax. This moment blurs the boundaries between the living and the dead, suggesting that the father’s spirit remains with the son, offering support even in death.

The poem concludes with a scene of reconciliation and acceptance as the speaker and his imagined father lift the mirror back into position. The act of driving the nails home, with the father "holding it steady," symbolizes the speaker’s ability to confront and embrace the memories that the mirror—and by extension, the past—represents. The mirror, once a source of fear, is now a means of maintaining the bond between father and son, affirming the idea that love and connection persist beyond death.

"The Mirror" is a beautifully crafted elegy that uses simple yet evocative imagery to explore the themes of memory, loss, and the enduring presence of the deceased. Through the symbol of the mirror, Muldoon captures the duality of grief—its capacity to both overwhelm and connect us to those we have lost. The poem’s quiet resolution, with the mirror restored to its place, reflects a deeper understanding of the father’s legacy and the unbroken bond that remains between him and his son.

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