Margaret Atwood The Sirens Analysis

The song appeals to the hero personality in the individual song, repeating that “only you” can help the Sirens. The classic Greek hero is filled with hubris and excessive pride, and by flattering them can the Siren’s song lure them to their death. “Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood is an intriguing poem about a Siren and the song that the Siren’s sing. At first, the poem looks to be a first person account of what is like to be a Siren and what the song is about. However, a closer look reveals a commentary of the Greek hero and how heroism can lead to their eventual

Throughout history, Sirens have symbolized temptation. They are known to have lured and tempted sailors to their doom with their singing. The significant theme of temptation is present in an epic known as The Odyssey, a poem “Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood, a song “The Cave” by Mumford and Sons, and a painting “Ulysses and the Sirens” by John William Waterhouse. However, because they are different forms of art, they are portrayed in various interpretations (Introductory Subordinate Clause).

They waited for passing ships and with their music they made sailors leap overboard to their doom. In the painting Ulysses and the Sirens, by John William Waterhouse uses the idea that the men are enhanced, mesmerized by the Sirens surrounding them as they continue working, trying to avoid their cry for help to show that people will go to great measures to get what they want, while in the poem “Siren Song,” by Margaret Atwood uses the same scene to show that people will only go as far as to help themselves. By analyzing the

Again, the paradox appears here, that a trio features both fatality and value. Personally, I presume that the siren uses fatal and valuable feature of the song to insinuate the situation she is in, and her motivation is to receive salvation. Fatal and Valuable are themselves ambivalent, but they serve as symbols to reveal the true nature of the song as it is fatal to mortals and valuable to the siren. From the general perspective, sirens and men are different species. What sirens offer is the deadly song to the men, and what men perceive is the allure of the siren.

I see a peaceful, slightly uncomfortable, but enjoyable sail in beautiful clear water. Dorothy Allison implies that everyone sees something different in a painting and that “if we were to reveal what we see in each painting, sculpture, installation, or little book, we would run the risk of exposing our secret selves” (595). My “secret self” is one that lived on a boat in the crystal clear water of the Caribbean and sailed on the open ocean and stared at the waves when there was no one else around. Because of that I see this painting as a peaceful experience instead of one in rough sickening

Odysseus takes extra precaution and has his men tie him to the ship’s mast. Odysseus said, “From the bottom of my heart I longed to listen, and I ordered my men to set me free, nodding my head and working my brows; but they simply went on pulling with a good swing” (Homer, 141-2). Finally, Odysseus and his men were sailing along the ocean, when they came upon the divided hell that was Scylla and Charybdis. They all stood paralyzed in fear as Charybdis moved the water nearby

Line seventeen “Bury their sorrow deep in the breast. This means honorable men put their sorrow aside so that it will not hinder them and get in their way. Tactile imagery on line twenty-three “Over wintry seas” which describes the atmosphere that he is going to be sailing in. The visual imagery on line forty “Beholding grays stretches of tossing sea” gives the reader an image of the treacherous sea. Another would be on line forty one thru forty two “Sea-birds bathing, with wings outspread, while hailstorms darken, and driving snow.

Everyone knows the Greek myth of Odysseus and his long journey to return home. On this journey, recorded in Homer’s “The Odyssey”, Odysseus encountered the mythical and deadly Sirens. In Homer’s text, Odysseus braves the enchanting songs of the horrible temptresses. In Margaret Atwood’s rendition titled “Siren Song”, though, the Sirens are more humanized, and the satirical writing turns the Sirens into bored singers who hate their jobs. The difference in the portrayal of the Sirens in these two pieces of writing are huge, one being the original text, mythical and suspenseful, the other being a satirized adaptation, depicting the Sirens as normal people in “Bird costumes”, bored and lonely.

The men try to navigate the giant ocean waves in a ten-foot skiff on the open ocean. The four men on the ship all have different strengths. “The cook bails out the boat while the oiler and correspondent take turns rowing the boat, and the injured captain lies in the bow spouting cynical remarks and brushing away the seagulls, but also provides much needed leadership” (Bouchard 1). This quote accurately shows how the men use their strengths to their advantage so they can come together to achieve their goals. In order to survive on the life boat, it is essential for the men to work together as a team.

This subgenre of Romantic Literature uses emotion as a technique to create metaphorical gender coding. By presenting overflowing emotions as a living or animated experience, characters in a Gothic work are given an additional layer of traits. According to Nicola Trott, the sublime is associated with masculinity by providing massive strength and size that induces terror. Sublimity creates terror through obscurity and uncertainty of potentially, irrationally terrible situations, such as murder or rape.

When Odysseus commands his men to go back to sea to voyage, he is a good leader because he is telling his men what to do. He is being a leader by protecting his men from the Ciccone 's army by leaving before reinforcements come. For example, when Odysseus and his men are heading to the sirens Odysseus states “you are to tie me up, tight as a splint” (Homer 1005). Odysseus is an admirable leader when he orders his men to tie him up and do not untie him because he is sacrificing himself for the good of his men. He is a leader when he does this because he lets his men not suffer the sirens while he has to.

He uses an excerpt from Rousseau’s autobiography on his description of happiness. I think he uses an accurate description of it and how he relates the experience to floating in a boat. Critchley further discusses how water can relate to happiness and I feel that I can relate to what he says. “The never-ending drone of the surf, sitting by the sea in fair weather or foul and feeling time disappears into the tide, into the endless pendulum of the tidal range” (pg. 561). This is an example of solitary happiness, but happiness cannot always come from being alone.

I was going to ride over there to see whose boat it was, and bring it back to the dock,” said the guy. When they were ready to go, Mr. Newport, made sure that Dexter was on the boat, because he didn’t want to lose him again. When they had reached their boat, Mr. Newport and Dexter hopped into the boat. Just as he had started to row back with Dexter, he looked back and asked the gentleman 's name. “It is Jacob,” said the man.

Alexander inhaled the salty-ocean air, as he made his way to the bow of the tiny boat. Each step he took the boat groaned in detest. When he reached the bow his gaze fell upon the new world. His eyes were full of hope and promise. “ I 'm almost there.”

As you read The Odyssey you see how our ship crew and their caption, Odysseus travel through the seas: fights monsters and the supernatural beings: and Odysseus is always forming sly plans to get out of a sticky situation. I choose to sculpt a piece after The Sirens section. My project is how I pictured Odysseus being tied up to his ship having to listen to the sirens beautiful but sickening songs. I felt this scene showed how much Odysseus truly cares for his crew so much that he alone willingly tied himself to the ship and listened to the song so they could return to their homes. The scene also showed how intelligent he was to tell his crew members to put wax in their ears to block out the song.