In Greek mythology, Sirens are half-bird and women that reside in Islands and lure men through flattery. Just as how in the Greek mythology, Homer’s The Odyssey, men are warned to plug their ears so that they could resist hearing the singing sirens. Men have to do this in order to prevent them from jumping overboard, because no man has ever ever returned as they are lured to their death by the Sirens(Atsma). “Siren Song” is included in Margaret Atwood’s 1974 poetry collection, You Are Happy (High Beam Research). The reference to The Odyssey, is relevant because the poem is intended to be between a Siren and a man hearing her speak, just like in the Greek myth. The poem opens with a Siren explaining what happens to men that hear her song. In
In the epic poem the "Odyssey" by Homer, there are creatures known as sirens. These creatures lure people to their death by singing a song in which they make a person follow what the sirens say. In the "Siren Song" by Margret Atwood, she writes the song and how she interprets it using modern English. The two literary works portray the Sirens similarly in tone and differently in point of view. The Sirens in the "Odyssey" seem dark and evil due to the author's choice of words or diction.
The Sirens in the Odyssey represent more than just a maritime danger to the passing ship. They are the desires of man that he cannot have. The Sirens can also be construed as forbidden knowledge or some other taboo object. Whatever these singing women actually are, the sailors are wise to avoid them. As usual, the wily Odysseus cheats at the rules of the game by listening to their song under the restraints constructed by his crew.
Sirens are birds or owls as you would like to call them. They sing a song you cant help but to hear if you dare listen to the song you die they
The utilization of lies assists Odysseus in executing the plans he creates to get revenge on the Suitors. In “Chaos, Order, and Cunning in the Odyssey,” the author mentions the lies Odysseus states and their importance throughout the rest of the epic. As Odysseus returns to Ithaca, he tells lies to Penelope, the Suitors, his loyal servants, and numerous others. Heatherington mentions how The Odyssey is “a poem so much concerned with the questions ‘Who are you? Where do you come from?’ since, if he answers wrongly, the disorders he is trying to right can only get worse, not better” (Heatherington 229). Therefore, Odysseus has to be careful with what he chooses to tell certain individuals in order to keep his identity a secret. If Odysseus says one thing wrong the Suitors could become angry
Throughout the Odyssey there are many themes that Homer uses to portray different people and events. To name a few, there are the themes of Betrayal and Revenge,Greed and Glutony, Hospitality, Role of the Gods and Wealth (the amount of money one had determined the status he held in the greek society, and this explains Odysseus's love for plunder).
The ancient Greeks have brought upon numerous ideas, inventions, and stories to the world. Greek mythology influences modern day literature and life. The Odyssey is an epic poem written by Homer, which tells the story of Odysseus's journey home after the Trojan War. Odysseus does not achieve his goal of reaching home so easily; monsters and gods come in his way and hinder him. The Odyssey expresses Greek values of hospitality from the customs of Ithaca, humility from Odysseus’s reform, and loyalty from Odysseus’s family.
The Odyssey is a tale that has changed literature and storytelling. In this tale Odysseus is a Soldier from the battle of Troy trying to get home to his island of Ithaca, where he is king. His wife and son must wait ten years while he is trying to make his way home. In Odysseus’s absence wooer’s, or better known as suitors, learn of his absence and travel to Ithaca to win his wife’s hand in marriage. These men come every day feasting on Odysseus’s food and wine, and give his servant’s orders. His son Telemachus, does his best to keep the suitors from ruining his fathers house but he is only a boy, and doesn’t receive the respect of an adult. Telemachus then has a visit from the god Athena, whom Odysseus is friends with, who advises him to travel to find out about his father. In his travels he hears that Odysseus may still be alive. Meanwhile Odysseus goes through a series of adventures and hardships that prove his wisdom. It is interesting in contrast of the Iliad, even though Achilles was much stronger and a better warrior, Odysseus was portrayed as a greater hero due to his wisdom. He uses this wisdom to escape from the Cyclops.
...g of the Sirens and end up as one of the corpses in their “meadow.” The Sirens have the power to “spellbind any man alive” with their “high, thrilling songs” and preventing them from ever making it home. A man lured by the Sirens will never see his wife or “happy children” again. His story will be over, and he will be lost forever. The Greeks rely on their story and legacy to retain their identity and memory after death. The Sirens represent distractions that lure travellers from their journey and decrease or completely remove their determination to return home. When a man stays true to his purpose and avoids any Siren-like distractions, he lives and comes home to a wonderful family. When a man makes himself susceptible to any Siren’s call, be it from an actual Siren or just something tempting enough to sway him from his task, he is destined to fail and be forgotten.
...y sirens represent half-women, half-bird creatures who lived on an island. They used to sing in beautiful voices to lure sailors off their course. When Odysseus was sailing by the siren's island, he made the rest of his men plug up their ears and ties him to the mainmast. This way, he got to hear the beautiful sound of their voice without being driven to suicide. In this story the women weeping over Lautaro were compared to the sirens, and some sailors going to tie themselves to the mainmast in an attempt to mimic Odysseus. There is a contrast of these stories with the quotes from the villagers.
In Homer's Odyssey and Margaret Atwood's Siren Song, Sirens are portrayed as creatures that trick men. Homer and Atwood use imagery, point of view, and diction to convey the image of the deceitful Sirens.
Odysseus uses his brain to sail past the Sirens without being entranced by their sweet song. A Siren is a bird-woman who bewitches everyone that approaches. The Siren women sing a seductive song. Their song has many powers. As Nugent says “as in the days of the musician Orpheus, music still has power to soothe the savage beast, to ally anxiety, and to connect with the divine through contemplation” (Nugent 45-54). Circe tells Odysseus, “There is no homecoming for the man who draws near them unawares and hears the Siren’s voices” (Homer XII, 40). . Odysseus follows the advice Circe gave him to put beeswax in his men’s ears so they will not be entranced. Odysseus then tells his men “but she instructed me alone to hear their voices…”(XII, 160), when, truthfully, Circe states, “But if you wish to listen yourself, make them bind you hand and foot on board and place you upright by the housing of the mast, with the rope’s ends lashed to the mast itself”(XII, 49). In this way, Odysseus is being selfish only wishes to know the Siren’s sing so he will...
The epic poem called The Odyssey, which was written by the poet Homer, is one of the many classical stories from Ancient Greek culture. It tells the story of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his journey back home from the war with Troy, which had occurred in Homer’s other epic Greek poem, The Illiad. Odysseus faces many trials and quests in his journey home and to take back his kingdom from the suitors, such as meeting the witch Circe, blinding a Cyclops named Polyphemus, dealing with Poseidon, and staying with the goddess Calypso. The poem has many themes that are relevant to it. One such theme is the factor of redemption. Redemption is usually a typical subject in any kind of religion, like the Greek religion and Christian religion. The story of Odysseus has an underlying message of him receiving redemption from the Greek gods. The Odyssey is a tale of redemption because it deals with Odysseus being forgiven by the gods after having to go through many trials and wrongs to rightfully claim back his wife and the throne of Ithaca.
“The Odyssey” is an epic poem that tells the story of Odysseus and the story of his many travels and adventures. The Odyssey tells the main character’s tale of his journey home to the island of Ithaca after spending ten years fighting in the Trojan War, and his adventures when he returns home and he is reunited with his family and close friends. This literary analysis will examine the story and its characters, relationships, major events, symbols and motifs, and literary devices.
The tone in the beginning of this book is very frantic; it starts out with Eurycleia rushing through the hallways and into Penelope’s room to inform her of the good news. The old nurse tells Penelope that Odysseus is indeed back home to Ithaca. At first Penelope couldn’t believe it but when she was reassured she cry tears of joy. The tone then shifts to a calmer one, even a little harsh. When Penelope sees Odysseus in person she seems to show no emotion at all. The reason for all this is because she fears the Gods are playing a trick on her or maybe Odysseus is no longer the man he used to be. With these assumptions she keeps a distance from her husband. But then Odysseus proves himself to his wife by describing their bedstead in deep detail, with this Penelope is reassure that Odysseus has not changed after all these years. The tone then changes to a more happy and joyful one to go along with their reunion as husband and wife.
/ I don't enjoy it here / squatting on this island / looking picturesque and mythical / with these two feathery maniacs, / I don't enjoy singing / this trio, fatal and valuable.” What is being described here is the struggle for women to act the way society wanted them to; to put themselves on display and smile for men. This is the ‘bird suit”, a costume that confound women to social boundaries. Atwood ends this poem with: “Come closer. This song / is a cry for help: Help me! / Only you, / only you can, / you are unique / at last. Alas / it is a boring song / but it works every time.” This stanza reflects that women (i.e. the siren depicted in this poem) never had to be rescued by men and neither needed them to survive. Since society was saying otherwise, they had to first conform to their stereotypes in order to break them. Women should not have to fight for control over their bodies- for things like birth control. However, they chose to fight for this because they deserved to thrive, and not merely survive. Margaret Atwood accurately reflects through the poem Siren Song, the struggle women faced for their voices to be truly heard and taken