One of the first things that Atwood does is she establishes who is speaking, as well as who the audience is. She does this through both the title and content of the poem, identifying that she is talking about sirens, then identifying that the speaker herself is one of the sirens in the passage
"I don't enjoy it here
squatting on this island
looking picturesque and mythical
with these two feathery maniacs."
squatting on this island
looking picturesque and mythical
with these two feathery maniacs."
As Atwood describes the speaker as squatting on the island with to feathery maniacs, the reader is fairly safe to assume that the speaker is a siren as well. Doing this, it is possible to say who she is talking to, or singing to. Simply knowing the facts about sirens, that they sing to sailors and travelers, we can then assume that these sailors and travelers are the intended audience.
In identifying the speaker and audience, it is possible to make the connection that this poem is actually a song - the same song that the sirens sing to lure men to their deaths. Looking at the poem in this sense, it is more possible to see why sailors and men are lured to their death. One of the main qualities of the poem that gives insight to both the sirens and why men are lured are the various changing tones. The poem starts off as a warning, saying what will happen to those who hear the sirens' song, and gives off a dangerous, warning tone through its strong diction such as "irresistable" and "forces." The tone of the piece then takes a drastic turn, and it conveys a "damsel in distress" message. The speaker talks about how horrible her life is and how she wants to escape and how "only you" can help. This both boasts the listener's ego, and creates the idea for them to become the knight in shining armor, causing them to do just what the speaker said they would do in the first two stanzas. Finally, the last stanza takes on a tone which really gives insight to how the siren feels about what she does. She says
In identifying the speaker and audience, it is possible to make the connection that this poem is actually a song - the same song that the sirens sing to lure men to their deaths. Looking at the poem in this sense, it is more possible to see why sailors and men are lured to their death. One of the main qualities of the poem that gives insight to both the sirens and why men are lured are the various changing tones. The poem starts off as a warning, saying what will happen to those who hear the sirens' song, and gives off a dangerous, warning tone through its strong diction such as "irresistable" and "forces." The tone of the piece then takes a drastic turn, and it conveys a "damsel in distress" message. The speaker talks about how horrible her life is and how she wants to escape and how "only you" can help. This both boasts the listener's ego, and creates the idea for them to become the knight in shining armor, causing them to do just what the speaker said they would do in the first two stanzas. Finally, the last stanza takes on a tone which really gives insight to how the siren feels about what she does. She says
"at last. Alas
it is a boring song
but it works every time."
it is a boring song
but it works every time."
The siren shows a sort of accomplishment at what she just did, as well as a twisted pleasure that even though she had warned these sailors in the begining, she was still able to make them drown.
1 comment:
Very detailed... awesome.
After hearing everyone's commentary on this poem in class.. and reading yours. I can definitely see the warning of following the siren's song and yet it is both warning men but I also think women too. Because as you said the "one and only" boasts men's egos therefore it can be seen as a warning to women saying that men will flock to damsels in distress--and yet the men ruin themselves to try to be unique and the best. Its actually quite comical of a poem: it reminds me of the princesses captured by the dragons and then the princes come because they want to be all rewarded but like who ever asks if the princesses really care if they are saved... and then its boring when the knights/princes actually show up. :)
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