Margaret Atwood's Poem: Siren Song

In Homer's epic, the Odyssey, he tells the often sad, often terrifying tale of Odysseus' attempt to return home. One encounter occurred at the Sirens' island, a rocky place where sailors me their fate in a twisted convergence of ship and shore. Homer portrays these Sirens as dangerous and deceptive, and their song tempts Odysseus so much that he orders his men to tie him down, simply to ensure his survival. Margaret Atwood's poem: Siren Song, however, basks the Sirens in a light of subtle danger, and extreme desperation. Stanzas four and eight detail that desperation, as one Siren sings, begging for liberation "out of this bird suit... Help me!... only you can." Despite the uncertainty of her sincerity, it highlights Atwood's frequent use