Siren Song
by Margaret Atwood
This is the one song everyone
would like to learn: the song
that is irresistible:the song that forces men
to leap overboard in squadrons
even though they see the beached skullsthe song nobody knows
because anyone who has heard it
is dead, and the others can’t remember.Shall I tell you the secret
and if I do, will you get me
out of this bird suit?I don’t enjoy it here
squatting on this island
looking picturesque and mythicalwith these two feathery maniacs,
I don’t enjoy singing
this trio, fatal and valuable.I will tell the secret to you,
to you, only to you.
Come closer. This songis a cry for help: Help me!
Only you, only you can,
you are uniqueat last. Alas
it is a boring song
but it works every time.
Meanings of Siren Song
Bedecked with the Grecian mythical figure of the Siren, the poem “Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood presents a Siren telling about her song, its power of seduction, and how to get rid of this mythical idea of trapping men. The main ideas of the poem range from gender roles to seduction and vanity.
Meanings of Stanzas 1-2
This is the one song everyone
would like to learn: the song
that is irresistible:the song that forces men
to leap overboard in squadrons
even though they see the beached skulls
The poet presents the persona of a Siren, telling how her song is irresistible in that everybody likes to hear it. She is of the view that her song has the force to make men leap overboard into the sea in droves despite seeing the consequences of this music madness before them in the shape of skulls coming out from the sea on the beaches. This stanza shows the partial main idea, which is the power of seduction of the song of Siren.
Meanings of Stanzas 3-4
the song nobody knows
because anyone who has heard it
is dead, and the others can’t remember.Shall I tell you the secret
and if I do, will you get me
out of this bird suit?
Siren speaks out about her song, saying that nobody has ever known what this song is and what it is about. The reason is that the person hearing this song dies immediately by throwing himself into the sea. And the problem with those who survive is that they do not remember what they hear. Then she puts a question before the readers if she tells the secret of this song, will anybody be able to take her out of this persona of the Siren that she calls a “bird suit?” This stanza contributes to the main idea of the seduction and gender role that Siren wants to remove.
Meanings of Stanzas 5-6
I don’t enjoy it here
squatting on this island
looking picturesque and mythicalwith these two feathery maniacs,
I don’t enjoy singing
this trio, fatal and valuable.
Siren speaks out her heart in these stanzas, saying that she does not enjoy making men leap out of their ships into the sea. She presents the picturesque and mythical landscape of the island where she is currently squatting and tells her story of having this power. She states that she does not enjoy the company of two of her colleagues (traditionally, Sirens are always three squatting on some island). Therefore, the trio signing is also an anathema to her because of the fatality associated with their song and the valuableness that comes out of their melody. The stanzas show the main idea of seduction and gender role traps.
Meanings of Stanzas 7-8
I will tell the secret to you,
to you, only to you.
Come closer. This songis a cry for help: Help me!
Only you, only you can,
you are unique
The speaker, Siren, comes to the point of telling her audience that she wants to tell the secret only to them. This could be a single interlocutor to whom she is telling her secret. She states that her song is a cry for help. She also uses flattery to woo her interlocutor, saying that as he is a unique person, only he can help her and that he must so that she could remove this anathematic emblem of seduction associated with her song. These stanzas contribute to the main idea of the chagrin of Siren for her gender role and its associated negative features.
Meanings of Stanza -9
at last. Alas
it is a boring song
but it works every time.
The speaker Siren continues with her monolog, saying that although she is fed up with her role and her song, she cannot get rid of it. It seems to her not a good song despite its seductive power. It is rather a born song, and it works every time she sings. It means whenever she does not have a desire to make men leap into the sea, she sings, and this song works in the same way. The stanza completes the overall main ideas of seduction and gender roles.
Summary of Siren Song
- Popularity of “Siren Song”: This poem is written by Margaret Atwood, a renowned Canadian poet, novelist, and critic. Siren Song is inspired by Greek mythology. It is known for its themes of deception and isolation. It was first published in 1974 in her collection, You Are Happy. The poem speaks about the tricks sirens use to manipulate sailors and lure them to death.
- “Siren Song” As a Representative of Lust: This poem refers to Greek mythology. However, here the siren is a half-woman and half-bird. She sings her melancholy song to attract men, mostly sailors. She calls her song irresistible. At first, she sings that she hates her situation and doesn’t want to kill anyone. She continues to explain her hatred towards her sisters. The siren later claims that she will disclose the secret of this song if anyone rescues her. As the man or a sailor approaches, she reveals that her song of plea was a trick to tempt them. Hence men become victims due to their lustful desires, as concluded by the sirens.
- Major Themes in “Siren Song”: Lies and deception are the dominant themes of this poem. At first, the readers may assume that the siren is indeed telling the truth. Perhaps she didn’t want to kill anyone or lure the sailors to their death. However, at the end of the poem, it is revealed that every word sung by the siren is a lie. She successfully deceives the men who hear her song and tells them that she indeed tricked them.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “Siren Song”
literary devices are tools used by writers to convey their emotions, ideas, and themes to make texts more appealing to the reader. Margaret Atwood has also used some literary devices to make her poem mysterious and interesting. The analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem is given below
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line. For example, the sound of /ee/ in “even though they see the beached skulls”.
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /l/ in “I will tell the secret to you”.
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought or clause that does not come to an end at a line break. Instead, it moves over the next line. For example,
“The song nobody knows
Because anyone who has heard it
Is dead, and the others can’t remember.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to perceive things involving the five senses. For example, “even though they see the beached skulls”, “with these two feathery maniacs” and “to leap overboard in squadrons.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between the objects that are different. The entire poem is an extended metaphor for a supernatural theme that attracted sailors to their death. The second metaphor is the deceptive physical attraction.
- Allusion: Allusion is a belief and an indirect reference of a person, place, thing, or idea of a historical, cultural, political, or literary significance. The poem alludes to the Greek myth of Sire, half-woman and half-bird-like creatures.
- Rhetorical Question: Rhetorical question is a sentence that is posed to make the point clear. For example,
“Shall I tell you the secret
and if I do, will you get me
out of this bird suit?”
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “Siren Song”
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of lines and verses. There are nine three-lined stanzas in this poem.
- Free Verse: Free Verse is a type of poetry that does not contain patterns of rhyme or meter. This is a free-verse poem with no strict rhyme or meter.
- Tercet: A tercet is a three-lined stanza borrowed from Hebrew poetry. Here, each stanza is a tercet.
Quotes to be Used
The lines stated below can be used when as an assurance to someone and also to let them know that we trust them.
“Is a cry for help: Help me!
Only you, only you can,
you are unique.”
