Group+5

Group 5 Lexi Chicles and Aly DeRiso

The meaning of the “Siren Song” is clearly conveyed through Margret Atwood’s abstract point of view, convincing tone, and stanza structure. The message is shown through deceiving emotions and lies, which vary with each stanza.

Atwood chose to write her piece from the point of view of the Siren herself. By doing so Atwood captures the true essence of the Siren and her deceiving way of luring the helpless souls in. Seeing how the Siren speaks is very convincing and at first has the reader slightly convinced until the very last two lines. Personally, I felt bad for her when she explained how she was trapped and forced to be on the island, but then at the end I realized what she did and I was embarrassed that I fell for her trap like she had even warned me about in the beginning. The point of view from this poem conveys the meaning in a very clever way and it allows the reader to see the tactics and persuasion of the mythical creature. Also, the tone of the piece is based on the false sincerity and desperation of the Siren. She pleads with the audience to help her while the whole time she is tricking them into her trap. The Siren is the mythical creature that epitomizes the idea of manipulation, and Atwood illustrates their whole essence.

Atwood used unique structure in her writing to help convey the meaning of the poem. She clearly distinguishes between a beginning, middle, and end, in order to tell the story of the Siren’s song. By creating stanza divisions, the reader can easily see how the story flows. In the beginning, the Siren seems pleased with herself in a sense, by stating that her song is irresistible. By the middle, when the paragraph breaks, the Siren acts upset and as if she is in need. When really, she is teasing the men and they turn out to be the ones who are in need of help. By the last stanza that is broken apart, the Siren once again seems pleased with herself saying “it works every time”. Because Atwood breaks up the different paragraphs and stanzas, the reader can clearly see how the attitude of the Siren changes from beginning to end.

Atwood's message is portrayed through careful use of structure and an abstract point of view. through these methods she conveys the manipulative and devious ways of the notorious Siren and her song.