Antipoetry Robert Grave “The Face in the Mirror” 2/23

            Antipoetry can be described as a technique that gives life and reality to a poem. It takes away all of the glamour and “beauty” from the poem, and leaves the truth behind. Many times poets are expected to deliver only the “greeting card” poems; although that is not the only beauty that life contains. In Robert Graves’ poem “The Face in the Mirror”, the author describes a man looking in the mirror by using his real features. He gives descriptions such as “forehead, wrinkled and high” and “skin deep, as a foolish record of old world fighting”. These two sample descriptions helps us to visualize an aging man with features that show his maturity, in life everyone does not walk around with perky cheeks rosy and bright. Having these types of descriptions helps us to relate and see the beauty in life without adding the extra fluff. This man in the poem appears to be going out on a date because the poem states, “to court the queen in her high silk pavilion”. Despite the portrayal of his aging he is still confident because the poem states “he still stands ready, with a boy’s presumption”. This is an authentic poem that points out the “bad” and makes us realize that it’s not only our “good” features that makes us who we are. One might expect the reader to experience more admiration for this gentleman because of his honesty and confidence without all of the creative imagery.