“Siren Song”, by Margaret Atwood, 1/10/12

“Siren Song”, by Margaret Atwood

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.

REACTION

This poem is inevitably comical. It is essentially the one of the Sirens luring in an innocent man so that he falls to his death. The way the sentences are structured and the choice of words leads the reader to believe that something ominous is about to happen, but it is rather unclear what that thing is. The poem draws in the reader in such a way that he or she wants to know what the secret is at the end of the poem. The last stanza gives the poem its sinister comedy when one is led to assume the siren finally lures the man to his death.

PARAPHRASE

This is the song everybody want to know, it’s irresistible; it’s the song that makes men jump overboard to their death when they know it will happen, that’s why nobody knows it because all who hear it are dead and other don’t remember it. I’ll tell you the secret, but if I do will you get me out of this disguise? I don’t like sitting here on this island looking perfect and unreal along with these two idiots, I don’t like singing this song, it’s fatal and valuable. I’ll only tell you the secret. Come here. This song is a cry for help, help me! You’re the only one who can help, you’re special. Finally, the song is boring but it works every time.

SWIFTT:

·         Syntax/Word Choice- The author used a very complex sentence structure that emphasizes colons to separate the sentences. The author also chooses simplistic words that most people today would understand, but at the same time uses some words that allow the poem to seemingly be written in a time prior to its publication.

·         Imagery- The author uses imagery throughout this poem. The use of the phrases “beached skulls” and “squatting on this island looking picturesque and mythical with these two feathery maniacs” along with many others in the poem allows the reader to feel they are a real person standing on a boat looking onto an island with beached skulls and three beautiful woman/bird-like figures staring back at him singing to him.

·         Figurative Language- This poem has an apparent lack of any figurative language. Through the entirety of the poem there was no figurative language.

·         Tone- The tone for this poem is seemingly mocking and alluring. Throughout the poem the speaker is essentially luring in a victim into a trap to kill the victim, while in essence mocking the victim. This is seen in the opening line, “This is the one song…” showing that the speaker is mocking the listener by saying this song I am singing you now is the song that will kill you and you will fall for it.

·         Theme- As with all Greek mythologies we see the theme is a lesson. To not allow yourself to be lured in by something or someone that is really trying to do you harm.

CONCLUSIONS

The poem was not intentionally comical as initially stated. The poem is meant to be more of a warning that if you are tempted there are massive consequences. I was correct in assuming that one of the Sirens is luring a man into coming to see her only to find out that the man dies. The poem was designed to luring the listener to come towards the Siren, but it is also supposed to mock the person the poem speaks of that actually comes toward the Sirens.