Siren Song Theme

In “Siren Song,” the sirens are illustrated as beautiful and mystical creatures that obtain power among men through their seduction. The siren is most commonly known within Greek mythology such as Homer’s Odyssey. Margaret Atwood uses the creature for the foundation upon which she builds the poem. The speaker of the poem is the siren itself. The sirens are made up of half bird and half human. They inhabit an island off the rocky coast and lure ongoing sailors into their trap by singing an alluring melody. Atwood portrays a strong central theme about the dangers of giving into deceptions of women.
The poem consists of nine stanzas, each being a triplet. Each stanza builds curiosity and anticipation among the reader. In the third stanza, Atwood says, “the song that nobody knows because anyone who has heard it is dead, and the other can’t remember” (Lines 7-9). She evokes curiousity among the audience, because they now want

The speaker’s tone shifts from talking about the mysterious melody and focuses more on how the audience can help her. She asks, “Shall I tell you the secret, and if I do, will you get me out of this bird suit” (Lines 10-12). The siren gives the audience the chance to hear the secret. The siren doesn’t seem satisfied with what is going on with her life. The bird suit appears to be a burden to have. However, this is all part of her mastermind plan.
The siren appears to play the role of the seductive villain. The siren states, “I will the secret to you, to you, only to you” (Lines 19-20). The siren is flattering the audience by making them feel special and unique by using very personalized words. The speaker uses repetition in order to further the special feeling exclusively to the audience. In a way, the speaker may be suggesting the ways that men are often seduced into traps by their own narcissism. Since the siren is making the men feel special, they believe they can avoid their own