Flashy And Ambiguous Language In The Siren

The word choice in the poem is the first clue that the Siren was lying from the beginning. The Siren starts out the poem by saying her song is one “everyone would like to learn” (1-2). This does not hold any truth because it is impossible everyone knows of the Siren’s existence. In this case, the Siren is using flashy and ambiguous language to make her false claim seem more enticing and trustworthy. Furthermore, in the same stanza as the previous claim, the Siren that her song is “irresistible” (3). By stating that her song cannot be resisted, the Siren blatantly tells the audience they will not be able to get away. No reader should trust someone who says up front there will be no escape. The audience had the ability to recognize they were being deceived by the words spoken from the mouth of the Siren herself, but instead they chose to fall into the trap every person before them had. The imagery in the poem also shows that the Siren did not have the audience’s best interest at heart. One of the most …show more content…
The poem uses general English, that is English that is commonly used, but not in an informal situation. Words such as squadrons, picturesque, mythical, and fatal are words in the poem that are a little more formal than casual language (lines). There are a few instances, though, where this level of diction is not used. “Bird suit” is one of those instances (12). The Siren is describing what she is wearing, saying she does not exist as a bird, but that she is trapped in a costume. She also describes the other two Siren’s as “feathery maniacs,” giving the line a sillier tone (16). This irregularity in the diction indicates a “flip-flop” in the Siren’s mind. If the Siren allowed her persona to dissolve, even for that those few words, then it is almost as though she is toying with her audience and letting them know she knows what they do