* Breaking Conventions: Plath was known for challenging poetic norms. By eschewing rhyme, she breaks away from the expected structure and rhythm of traditional poetry. This creates a sense of starkness and directness, mirroring the poem's themes of honesty and reality.
* Emphasis on Content: The lack of rhyme forces the reader to focus on the meaning and imagery of the words themselves. The poem's impact rests on its stark language, precise details, and evocative imagery, rather than on the musicality of rhyme.
* Realistic Tone: The poem's subject matter is grounded in reality. It explores the raw, unvarnished experiences of aging and self-perception. Rhyme could have introduced a sense of artificiality or sentimentality, which would have clashed with the poem's honest and unflinching tone.
* Unwavering Gaze: The mirror's gaze is described as unwavering, unblinking, and unjudging. The lack of rhyme mirrors this unflinching gaze, creating a sense of directness and honesty.
* Internal Rhythm: While there's no traditional rhyme, the poem has its own internal rhythm and structure. The repetition of words and phrases, the use of enjambment (lines running over to the next), and the carefully crafted meter contribute to the poem's overall structure and effect.
In summary, Sylvia Plath's deliberate choice to exclude rhyme in "Mirror" contributes to the poem's unique power and impact. It enhances the poem's sense of honesty, realism, and directness, allowing the reader to fully engage with the themes of self-perception, aging, and the unvarnished truth of reality.