Margaret Atwood Siren Song Analysis

Margaret Atwood’s poem “Siren Song” (rpt. In Greg Johnson and Thomas R. Arp, Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense, 12th ed. [Boston: Wadsworth, 2015] 797-798) draws in the reader by describing what a siren song and what it may be. The definition of a siren song according to Merriam-Webster is “ an alluring utterance or appeal; especially : one that is seductive or deceptive.” This definition plays an important role in the entire story that is being told in this poem. There are many different contrasts in tone in this poem. In the first two stanzas, the reader is drawn in by the description of the song as “irresistible” and one that “everyone would like to learn”. By placing colons in the places that she did, Atwood keeps the reader interested and wondering what song would everyone want to listen to. In the second stanza the speaker continues to describe the poem as it forces men to go overboard even though they see
By saying that they are either forgetful of it or dead makes a huge impact. If everyone who had ever heard it had died, it would make people less curious about what the song it but since some people are just forgetful it gives people hope of hearing it. By saying that some who have listened have forgotten it ties into the end revelation perfectly. Knowing the mythological background of Sirens and Siren songs plays an important part in the understanding this stanza. In mythology Sirens were beautiful creatures, women more specifically, that were half human and half bird. These women would kill anyone who would hear their songs, Odysseus told his men to cover their ears with wax which would be the few who don’t remember. By using words such as anybody and everyone, it lets the reader know that there are no exceptions, not even