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.
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 is that this poem provokes strange and unusual images, comparable to nightmares or grotesque dreams. The narrator appears to be a mythical, bird-like creature, and she is calling out to the reader, presumably a male, to save her. In return, she will share a song with the man: a song that is unknown and perhaps "fatal" (18). It seems the birdwoman is mischievous and deceptive, and as there are several ill-boding indicators in the poem, I assume the song has some danger attached to it. The poem is quite ominous, but I am not quite sure of the narrator's motive or of the impact the song may have on the unsuspecting man.
Paraphrasing:
This is a song everyone
wants to know: the song
that is impossible to resist:
the song that makes mean
abandon ship
although they see washed up skulls on the beach
the song no one knows
because those who heard it
are dead or cannot remember.
Shall I share the song with you
and if I do, will you help me
out of this bird suit?
I don't enjoy it here
upon this island
looking striking and mythical
with these two crazy feathered creatures,
I don't enjoy singing
with them, our song deadly and valuable
I will tell you the secret,
only to you.
Come closer. This song
is a cry for assistance: Help me!
You are the only one who can help me
You are the only one who can help me
You are special
at last. Sadly
the song bores me
but it works every time.
but it works every time.
SWIFTT:
Syntax/Word Choice: "Siren Song" contains nine three-lined stanzas which bear no rhyme scheme. The first three stanzas are in third person, and it is not until the fourth stanza that the narrator speaks from first person point of view. As the poem progresses, the lines become shorter and choppier, resulting in an increased pace and urgency of the poem. Atwood's diction is chosen primarily to make the narrator and her companions seem mystical and bird-like in order to allude to the three Sirens from Greek mythology. The narrator is supposedly stuck in a "bird suit," "squatting on this island / looking picturesque and mythical / with these two feathery maniacs" (12, 14-16). Atwood utilizes particular words to add a negative connotation to the song: It "forces" men to jump off the side of their ships, even though they see "beached skulls" (4, 6). Those who heard the song were "dead" or can't remember (9). The song is referred to as "fatal and valuable," and it "works every time" (18, 27).
Imagery: Lines 4-6 provokes images of
men, entranced by the Siren's song, abandoning their ships, while lines
14-16 allow the reader to visualize the Sirens perched on the island, singing
their enticing, dangerous song.
Figurative Language: There are no examples of figurative language in "Siren Song."
Tone: The tone of the poem is enticing and pleading. The Siren is trying to convince the man to "come closer," to answer her plea for help (21). She appeals to the man's curiosity by stating the song is a secret, and she allures him by making him feel unique: "Only you, only you can, you are unique" (23-24).
Theme: The theme of "Siren Song" is deception and appeal. By using tactics of enticement and exploiting man's curiosity, the Sirens convince men to hear their song, which, in most cases, leads to their death.
Conclusion: My initial thoughts were close to correct. The narrator is, in fact, trying to trick the man into hearing her song, which will result in his death. When analyzing the poem, I discovered the Sirens' motive: they deceive and murder men for their own amusement. The song has become boring to them, but the enticement and manipulation make it fun.
Figurative Language: There are no examples of figurative language in "Siren Song."
Tone: The tone of the poem is enticing and pleading. The Siren is trying to convince the man to "come closer," to answer her plea for help (21). She appeals to the man's curiosity by stating the song is a secret, and she allures him by making him feel unique: "Only you, only you can, you are unique" (23-24).
Theme: The theme of "Siren Song" is deception and appeal. By using tactics of enticement and exploiting man's curiosity, the Sirens convince men to hear their song, which, in most cases, leads to their death.
Conclusion: My initial thoughts were close to correct. The narrator is, in fact, trying to trick the man into hearing her song, which will result in his death. When analyzing the poem, I discovered the Sirens' motive: they deceive and murder men for their own amusement. The song has become boring to them, but the enticement and manipulation make it fun.
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