Group+7

Group 7

Julia Masur & Jaime Weinberg

The point of view of a piece of literature enhances the tone for the reader. The poem, "Siren Song" by Margaret Atwood, is told in the point of view of one of the Sirens. The point of view suggests both a sympathetic and confused tone.

The "Siren Song" is about a birdlike mythical creature that has an immensely seductive voice, which she uses, along with two "friends," to sing a song that lures men ashore. These men are too intrigued to realize they are about to die once they abandon their ship. The narrator is constantly teetering back and forth on how she feels about killing all of the men. She is tired of being stranded on the island, yet she is thoroughly entertained once those men begin to suffer. The tone felt here is confusion because on one hand, the Siren wants desperately to get off the island but on the other, the deaths of the seamen fulfill her need of something to do. She specifically says, "I don't enjoy singing / this trio, fatal and valuable." However later, she begs for the men to, "Come closer," and in the end states, "it works every time." The narrator is unsure of how she feels, therefore the reader is confused as well.

Another tone picked up from "Siren Song" is sympathy. In //The// //Odyssey//, Odysseus has his men put wax in their ears so the sirens don’t charm them. The sirens have a bad reputation. They sing to all the sailors who pass by and because their song is irresistible, the sailors leap overboard to find the source of the noise and end up dying in the process. Yet, with the poem being told from the perspective of one of the sirens, views of the creatures shift and the reader starts to feel sorry for them. The siren’s song is a cry for help, as she explains that she does not actually enjoy doing what she does. She explains the secret that although she looks beautiful and seductive and all the sailors are drawn to her, she does not necessarily enjoy it. The reader begins to feel bad for the sirens because they were misunderstood from their negative reputation. In //The Odyssey,// the sirens are portrayed as fatal creatures, yet the poem gives an alternate perspective and shows the reader that the sirens are not actually evil. The siren explains, “This song is a cry for help”. The sympathetic tone of the siren explains that she has always been misunderstood.

The poem reveals that the Siren has contrasting views of the song she seduces the men with. It is revealed that the Siren is misinterpreted and does not actually enjoy luring the men a ashore and this alternative viewpoint sheds light on the Siren's feelings and attitude leaving the reader understand the confusion and sympathy.