Often, individuals can find themselves enticed by appealing objects that can usually be lethal or deadly, much like Sirens. Sirens are mythical creatures that lure men with their captivating singing, ultimately forcing them to jump to their deaths. Their appearances are usually found in greek poetry like The Odyssey by Homer, or poetry with a more modern take on them, such as “Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood. Both poems however, introduce readers to the Sirens with similar and different perspectives even though they are centered on the same subject. “Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood and The Odyssey by Homer both differ in their portrayals of the Sirens. Both “Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood and The Odyssey by Homer are narrated in different point
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While Homer’s The Odyssey is dark and serious, “Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood is light, humorous even. In “Siren Song”, once the Siren describes the enchanting yet deadly song that has men leaping to their deaths almost instantly, she then turns to readers and asks,”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” (Atwood). Even though Sirens are supposed to be deadly creatures, their depiction in this poem would suggest readers to think otherwise. The tone set is light and humourous, to sway readers into assuming that they are not as bad as they are made out to be. The Siren calls the other two Sirens “maniacs” and the term is not one readers would expect an individual so vicious to use. The Siren also seems to be bored, with an unconcerned attitude. In The Odyssey, Circe tells Odysseus that,”Square in your ship’s path are Sirens, crying beauty to bewitch men coasting by; woe to the innocent who hears that sound! He will not see his lady nor his children in joy” (Homer 660). The tone in this stanza sets the mood for the encounter with the Sirens which is dark and serious. The Sirens captivate men with their melodies only to prevent them from ever seeing their families again by killing them. This shows readers what the victims portray them as, evil creatures. The tones of both poems differ in …show more content…
In “Siren Song”, the Siren speaks of a song that is irresistible to those who hear and,”forces men/ to leap overboard in squadrons/ even though they see the beached skulls” (Atwood). This use of imagery shows how deadly the Sirens truly are. They lure men in with their melodic voices, only to cause them imminent death. There are skulls and skeletons of men that lie next to the Sirens, yet the men fail to notice that they are leaping to their demise. In The Odyssey, Circe tells Odysseus that his ship will pass an island where beautiful creatures known as Sirens rest. They bewitch men with their enchantment, causing men to never see home again. Circe then describes how,”there are bones of dead men rotting in a pile beside them and flayed skins shrivel around the spot” (Homer 660). Homer describes the dead men next to the Sirens in a gruesome manner. Pieces of ripped off flesh lie near them along with skeletons of men who failed to notice that they were going to die. The Sirens are also depicted as ruthless creatures in the way they nonchalantly tore these men apart and left their remains around them as if it were no big deal. Both poems use detailed imagery to show just how dark the Sirens truly
While Homer’s The Odyssey is dark and serious, “Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood is light, humorous even. In “Siren Song”, once the Siren describes the enchanting yet deadly song that has men leaping to their deaths almost instantly, she then turns to readers and asks,”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” (Atwood). Even though Sirens are supposed to be deadly creatures, their depiction in this poem would suggest readers to think otherwise. The tone set is light and humourous, to sway readers into assuming that they are not as bad as they are made out to be. The Siren calls the other two Sirens “maniacs” and the term is not one readers would expect an individual so vicious to use. The Siren also seems to be bored, with an unconcerned attitude. In The Odyssey, Circe tells Odysseus that,”Square in your ship’s path are Sirens, crying beauty to bewitch men coasting by; woe to the innocent who hears that sound! He will not see his lady nor his children in joy” (Homer 660). The tone in this stanza sets the mood for the encounter with the Sirens which is dark and serious. The Sirens captivate men with their melodies only to prevent them from ever seeing their families again by killing them. This shows readers what the victims portray them as, evil creatures. The tones of both poems differ in …show more content…
In “Siren Song”, the Siren speaks of a song that is irresistible to those who hear and,”forces men/ to leap overboard in squadrons/ even though they see the beached skulls” (Atwood). This use of imagery shows how deadly the Sirens truly are. They lure men in with their melodic voices, only to cause them imminent death. There are skulls and skeletons of men that lie next to the Sirens, yet the men fail to notice that they are leaping to their demise. In The Odyssey, Circe tells Odysseus that his ship will pass an island where beautiful creatures known as Sirens rest. They bewitch men with their enchantment, causing men to never see home again. Circe then describes how,”there are bones of dead men rotting in a pile beside them and flayed skins shrivel around the spot” (Homer 660). Homer describes the dead men next to the Sirens in a gruesome manner. Pieces of ripped off flesh lie near them along with skeletons of men who failed to notice that they were going to die. The Sirens are also depicted as ruthless creatures in the way they nonchalantly tore these men apart and left their remains around them as if it were no big deal. Both poems use detailed imagery to show just how dark the Sirens truly