Margaret Atwood uses diction to convey the central idea that people are prone to disregard potential consequences or signs of danger in order to get what they desire. Firstly, Margaret Atwood explains how the “irresistible” song “forced” a plethora of men to jump off their ships, even after seeing the “beached skulls” (Atwood 849). The use of such words shows how quickly people are willing to forget about life-threatening risks when they see something that they strongly long for. In this case, the song was so alluring that it seemed as though the men had no choice but to leap overboard, resulting in their deaths. Even after seeing the skulls on the beach, the men jumped off their ship, ignoring the fact that they would, in all likelihood, die.
…show more content…
“You” and “unique” creates a sense of flattery, making it seem as though the siren is opening up and getting more comfortable with the reader. Consequently, the speaker of the poem, or the siren, made the audience feel special and needed. This, in turn, provoked the audience to become too engaged with feeling vital and dominant that he or she did not realize that the siren was actually being deceitful. Thus, the audience fell into the siren’s trap, similarly to the men that she previously spoke of. Beforehand, the audience knew of the power of the siren’s song and how it imposed others to give in to death. However, these forewarnings were overlooked once the siren began talking about her feelings and issues, or in other words, when she began getting personal with the reader. The audience was made to feel powerful, that only he or she could liberate the siren of her agony. Unfortunately, the audience was actually being tricked and ultimately suffered the penalties of the siren’s song. The audience’s yearning for importance and influence on others concealed the potential and evident threat of the siren. With the use of diction, Margaret Atwood conveys the central idea that one’s longing can cause one’s mind to become unclear, hiding all dangers and uncertainties from their field of view, which can lead to a disastrous
“You” and “unique” creates a sense of flattery, making it seem as though the siren is opening up and getting more comfortable with the reader. Consequently, the speaker of the poem, or the siren, made the audience feel special and needed. This, in turn, provoked the audience to become too engaged with feeling vital and dominant that he or she did not realize that the siren was actually being deceitful. Thus, the audience fell into the siren’s trap, similarly to the men that she previously spoke of. Beforehand, the audience knew of the power of the siren’s song and how it imposed others to give in to death. However, these forewarnings were overlooked once the siren began talking about her feelings and issues, or in other words, when she began getting personal with the reader. The audience was made to feel powerful, that only he or she could liberate the siren of her agony. Unfortunately, the audience was actually being tricked and ultimately suffered the penalties of the siren’s song. The audience’s yearning for importance and influence on others concealed the potential and evident threat of the siren. With the use of diction, Margaret Atwood conveys the central idea that one’s longing can cause one’s mind to become unclear, hiding all dangers and uncertainties from their field of view, which can lead to a disastrous