Many times, people tend to judge things by their exterior appearance. Of course, it is only natural for one’s attention to be caught by something or someone aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. However, just because the superficiality of an object or entity is eye-catching, it does not always mean the content or value is of the same measure. For that reason, the phrase “never judge a book by its cover,” fits perfectly well regarding this subject matter. Because the outer presentation is appealing, one assumes that whatever lies within is just as appealing. Relatively, an individual is also apt to judge another individual by their physical features and attire, and presume their substance to be of equivalence. Thankfully, Margaret Atwood’s “Siren …show more content…
In “Siren Song,” Atwood glorifies the “song” that picks at everyone’s desire to know. In the first stanza, the Siren states: “This is the one song / everyone / would like to learn: the / song / that is irresistible” (Atwood 1-5). However, in the third stanza, the Siren points out that “anyone who has / heard it / is dead […]” (Atwood 12-14). In an attempt to warn the sailors, the Siren clearly expresses the implication of listening to the infamous song. Despite the good intention, the Siren then urges them to “[c]ome closer […]” (Atwood 30). Hence, Atwood played with diction to convey the ironic outcome the Siren created. Moreover, in “Richard Cory,” the irony lies within the townspeople due to their desire to be like Richard Cory. Blindly, they “thought that he was everything / To make us wish that we were in his place” (Robinson 11-12). As if worshipping, Cory is thought of as an idyllic figure as a result of his status, as well as his intelligence. In “Overview: ‘Richard Cory’” (1999), it states that the “us” in line 12 “may indicate rather that they want his kinglike ‘place’ in society.” Seeing as how pleasant Cory’s life seems, the townspeople want to live just like him. It was not until “Richard Cory, one calm summer night, / Went home and …show more content…
Furthermore, in “Richard Cory,” the speaker addresses him or herself and everyone else of the same class as “people of the pavement” (Robinson 2). Superficially, they all see him as “a gentleman from sole to crown, / Clean favored, and imperially slim” (Robinson 3-4). From the first stanza, the readers are able to visualize the image of Richard Cory being separated from those who are on the pavement and belong to a higher class. The speaker continues and describes him as “always quietly arrayed, / And he was always human when he talked” (Robinson 5-6). Obviously, the townspeople perceive Cory as a superior because he dresses fancy and with orderliness. Whenever Cory speaks, he sounds human just like everyone else, but the speaker assumes that he sounds different because he is different from everyone else. Therefore, the speaker states that “he was rich – yes, richer than a king - / And admirably schooled in every grace” (Robinson 9-10). He or she is comparing Cory to a king and that Cory is the better one in terms of wealth. Along with the wealth, Cory is also exceptionally well-mannered, knows how to speak appropriately, and knows how to handle any situation. Unknowingly, the townspeople all “thought that he was everything” (Robinson 11). At this point, readers can perceive the
This demonstrates the danger the sirens produce along with the uncontrollable temptation the seamen can not resist. While Homer’s tone portrays the sirens as evils creatures, in The Siren Song by Margaret Atwood the sirens appear to be innocent creatures who
The Siren Song is a poem written by Margaret Atwood. The poem is narrated by sirens who are also the central characters of the poem. Sirens are Greek mythological creatures possessing enchanted voices luring sailors towards them, causing ships to crash on reefs near their island. The sirens were the daughters of the river god Achelous as well as the companions of Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, goddess of the harvest.
The poem “Sirens Song” alludes to the Sirens of the Odyssey. The Sirens’ portrayal is to deceive as they scheme and seduce men in their direction. The author claims, “The song that forces men to leap overboard in squadrons even though they see beached skulls.” In other words,
They were living easily. He had not lied about how he grew up. Although, ever since he was a young caddie, he had dreamed of becoming wealthy, and being high on the social ladder. After college, he worked hard, and began a chain of laundromats. “I suppose he'd had the name ready for a long time, even then.
“The lovely voices in ardor appealing over the water made me crave to listen.” (Page 1234, Lines 123-125). The men hear these voices and a feeling of love and desire come over them. All they desire is to have the Sirens, and once they're under the Sirens illusions they cannot escape. Another example in Book 12, “The Sirens will sing his mind away on their sweet meadow lolling.
In “Siren Song”, the speaker of the poem seems to be the siren referred to in the piece’s title. A siren is a seductive and beautiful
Which sets him apart from the Sirens by building up his name. Yet, “Siren Song” by Atwood has a melancholic to seductive tone throughout the piece. An example of this is when the Siren says, "I don't enjoy it here-squatting on this island" (Atwood 13-14). The reader is intended to feel remorse for her. This sets a melancholy or sad tone.
Beauty and good looks tend to carry a certain advantage throughout modern society. This advantage allows these people to “control” or manipulate people, and subsequently things, to their own likings. This “luring” is exemplified as sirens in Homer’s epic, “The Odyssey.” This application of Homer’s work is demonstrated throughout Margaret Atwood’s poem, “Siren Song,” in which diction, hyperbole, and a deceivingly alluring tone are applied in order to express the ease of which people with these desirable traits are able to exploit the thinking of others into their own likings, despite the ill-fated circumstances that are bound to come.
Looking Beyond the Character Many times people have said that appearances can be deceiving, or that appearances are not what they seem. This can be proved true with the characters in a novel. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, she shows many examples of this in her writing. The story covers a few characters who the readers eventually get to see and know more about, who demonstrate a theme of how people are not always what they seem to be.
Many people don’t have much value for themselves. This is may be because in this age technology is so readily available. We have a stronger opportunity to compare ourselves. A strong example is Cyrano De Bergerac, the head-strong protagonist from Edmond Rostand 's Cyrano De Bergerac, Cyrano is portrayed to be the mighty swashbuckler, he secretly possesses major doubts about his outward appearance. A reader can infer that, although his muzzle might be robust, he finds it makes for a great distraction from his glorious self.
He could imagine his deception of this town “nestled in a paper landscape,” (Collins 534). This image of the speaker shows the first sign of his delusional ideas of the people in his town. Collins create a connection between the speaker’s teacher teaching life and retired life in lines five and six of the poem. These connections are “ chalk dust flurrying down in winter, nights dark as a blackboard,” which compares images that the readers can picture.
Within both melodies of “Sirens Song,” written by Miss May I and “Song of the Siren,” written by Tim Buckley, the Allusion incorporated with the Sirens effects the ways the Sirens interact in the pieces. The prior knowledge associated with the mythical Sirens of ancient Greece with the two lyrical pieces, “Siren Song” and “Song to the Siren,” both provide the reader with an insight on how seductive and manipulative the divine creatures can be; Furthermore, the insight in this case especially focuses on innocent and naïve mortals such as humans. The deceptively luring Sirens tempt the humans into danger without much true effort as they have done on so numerous occasions. Due to the allusion referenced with the creatures of trickery within the songs provided, the Sirens cause their
The short story, “The Rich Brother” accounts the journey of two brothers with great different personalities. After Donald, the younger naive religious brother, is kicked out of a communal farm, Pete, the older wealthier brother, goes to pick him up. Pete feels that Donald is too carefree, and that he always has to help him out of his mistakes. The tensions between these siblings are evident--they both feel that they need to prove themselves to each other; they need to provide evidence of their “prosperity” (Wolff 324). Pete more than Donald tends to always try to impress others, such as buying expressive items.
Take a look at yourself in that worn out Mardi Gras outfit, rented for fifty cents from some rag picker! And with the crazy crown on! What queen do you think you are?” (Williams, 127). Appearance vs reality not only means that the reader/ public can be deceived, but also a person can deceive themselves.
Many characters’ appearances in stories define them before they even speak. Similar to when people judge one another based on their clothing, the audience of a story makes assumptions about the characters by what they wear. However, the characters’ clothing does much more than convey information about the wearer: it sets the scene, interacting and blending with the setting to create cohesion. Memoirs of a Geisha, “Miss Brill,” Suits, and Hannibal all portray central characters whose descriptions and clothing accomplish artistic storytelling. In these stories, physical appearances and clothing choices do not merely reflect the characters; they define them, revealing key personal and social values and rules as well as social values and rules.