Group+1

(ALLIE, KATIE, & CHELSEA) - Group 1 (can't forget literary elements also!!)


 * Thesis:** In the poem, //The// //Siren Song//, by Margaret Atwood, the language conveys a strong sense of mystery, as well as satire. The mysterious qualities originate from the curiosity the reader feels towards the true meaning of the song. The satirical attributes stem from the siren's mocking attitude. The siren mocks the reader by hinting her awareness that the song "works every time" (line 27). The mysterious aspects can be found up until line 21 when the siren reveals to the reader what exactly defines the song; "a cry for help" (line 22).

In the beginning of the poem, the narrator’s tone has an mysterious evil connotation to it. The narrator makes it apparent that she knows her song is deadly, “the song that forces men to leap overboard in squadrons” (lines 4-5), and irresistible. The reader feels a dislike and distrust towards the siren as she has no good intentions, yet they are unaware of the siren's particular intentions. However, as the poem continues, the reader is surprised with patronizing feelings as the poor creature is “crying for help” (line 22), and “doesn’t enjoy” (line 13) the life she lives. She appears to feel guilt-ridden, but in the end leaves the reader feeling dark as she closes with her seduction, admitting it does “work every time” (line 27). As the diction of the song itself is analyzed, one can see the hypnotizing characteristics of the song, yet is unaffected because of the presentation. By the end of the poem, the reader has felt so many mood shifts they do not know how to feel about the siren. They feel guilty that she is stuck doing something horrible for her entire life, yet she is satisfied that she deserves to lead a horrible life and continue on being miserable.
 * Chelsea Body Paragraph:**

Throughout the poem, audience can feels the mysterious tone until curiosity “kills the cat”. The siren, whose point of view the poem is told, lures in the audience with the mystery of what the siren song actually means. It is human nature to be curious, and the siren bluntly states that it is “the song nobody knows” (line 4) while going on to lure in the audience by saying “I will tell the secret to you, to you, only you.” She abuses humans’ curiosity by dangling the knowledge of the secret and using it as bait in exchange to be rescued (lines 7-9). The audience, which was at first perceived to be sailors or the crew, is automatically drawn to this adrenaline and excitement of being the only one to know a secret, when actually the secret is just a cry for help. The siren did not lure just the sailors with the temptation of learning the secret, but also the readers of the diction. The solution to the mystery of the siren song was a disappointment to whoever her human audience was, but it is too late to turn back. The last line of the poem, "but it works every time," (line 27) implies that the readers had already read through the poem and the sailors already jumped overboard, since "it works every time".
 * Allie Body Paragraph:**

The author portrays the sirens in a very mocking way towards their audience. In the first two stanzas, the siren displays her predatory nature by stating that she knows her song is irresistible and forces men to jump to their death. The third and largest stanza, however, displays the sirens as victims with lines such as, “I don’t enjoy it here” (line 13) and, “I don’t enjoy singing” (line 17). Then the last three stanzas revisit the idea that the siren is a predator and the request for sympathy was just a ploy. In the last stanza, she says, “Alas/ it is a boring song / but it works every time.” She tricks men into listening to her song and makes them pity her, only to reveal the game they are playing once it is too late. Mockery is used simultaneously with her trickery, by making men believe that they are privy to certain knowledge but then laughing about it with, “But it works every time,” and revealing her true intentions.
 * Katie Body Paragraph:**


 * Conclusion:** Atwood's tone in "Siren Song" consistently sends a mysterious yet satirical representation of sirens. The siren in the poem lures her audience through tempting them with the possibility of understanding the enigmatic siren song. Her characterization of herself is constantly changing throughout the poem, leaving her audience with conflicting emotions towards her, which she finds humorous.