Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Siren Song by Margaret Atwood


Text:

This is the one song everyone
would like to learn: the song
that is irresistible:

the song that forces men
to leap overboard in squadrons
even though they see beached skulls

the song nobody knows
because anyone who had heard it
is dead, and the others can’t remember.
Shall I tell you the secret
and if I do, will you get me
out of this bird suit?
I don’t enjoy it here
squatting on this island
looking picturesque and mythical
with these two feathery maniacs,
I don’t enjoy singing
this trio, fatal and valuable.

I will tell the secret to you,
to you, only to you.
Come closer. This song

is a cry for help: Help me!
Only you, only you can,
you are unique

at last. Alas
it is a boring song
but it works every time.

Initial Reaction:
My initial reaction to “Siren Song” is that the poem is about a bird that sings to others to lure them in. Further, the bird is a highly attractive and alluring bird, and while the bird does not understand why its song attracts other, its singing never fails to bring in new victims. The bird wishes that it could be different and not have to sit around and lure people in all day, but it cannot escape its fate in life, and it will forever sing to others.

Paraphrase:
This is a song that everyone
wants to hear: the one
that no one can resist:

The song that leads men
To jump out of their boats
Even though they see dead bodies of others on the beach shore
This is a song that nobody else knows
Because if anyone has heard my song
They are dead, and the other people that have heard it can’t remember it.
Do you want me to tell you a secret?
And if I tell it to you, will you help me
Escape this bird suit?
I don’t like being here
Uncomfortably sitting on this island
Looking beautiful and mysterious
With the other two sirens,
I don’t even like to sing
The three of us are, this trio, deadly and priceless.

I will tell you my secret,
But only to you.
Get closer to me. This song

Is my cry for help!
And only you,
you are different

Finally. I lied
It is just a dull song
But it never fails.

SWIFTT:
SW: The poem uses simple language to convey the mysterious nature of the siren. For example, lines such as “I will tell the secret to you” are plain and short, but the siren uses these words to lure in the sailors. In addition, the poem uses repetition to lure in the sailor as the siren states, “Only you, only you can.” Further, the author uses word choice that suggests the seductiveness of the siren, such as “irresistible,” “picturesque,” and “mythical.”

I: Throughout the poem, there is bird and mythical imagery. The imagery of the bird is obvious as the author uses words like “bird suit” and “feathery maniacs.” Then the mythical imagery is evident as the author describes the bird’s “picturesque and mythical” nature, and the author expresses the idea that the bird has some deep secret that no man will ever learn.

F: The poem is an extended metaphor for the idea that the siren possesses supernatural powers that allow it to captivate men and lure them into their death. The siren’s song is a metaphor for beauty that acts like a mask to hide its true, deadly nature underneath.

T: The tone of the poem is alluring and secretive as the siren attempts to lure unsuspecting sailors with its song. Lines like “the song that is irresistible” depict the alluring nature of the poem, while lines like “I will tell the secret to you” show the secretive nature that the siren possesses.

T: The theme of the poem represents the manipulative and deceptive power that even the most alluring creatures can possess. For while the siren was beautiful and could sing captivating songs, all those enchanted by it would soon find themselves dead.

Conclusion:
After analyzing “Siren Song,” my concluding thoughts differ from my initial reaction. I now know that the siren was not simply a bird, but it is an alluring, mythical creature. The siren’s song lures in unsuspecting men and sailors, who are completely helpless to the creatures. No one knows the siren’s song because everyone that hears the song is quickly killed by the creature. Further, while the men are able to see the “beached skulls” in front of them, they cannot stop themselves from moving towards the siren. The poem depicts a siren in the action as it allures in a new victim. The siren claimed it longed to get out of its “bird suit” and that its song was a cry for help. However, by the end of the poem, readers realize that the siren is not simply a helpless, vulnerable creature as the siren states its song “works every time,” suggesting that the bird has just captivated and killed the reader.

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