Friday, August 16, 2019
Odyssey/Siren Song Essay
Homerââ¬â¢s epic poem Odyssey tells the story of Odysseusââ¬â¢ encounter with the Sirens and their deadly song which is shown in Margaret Atwoodââ¬â¢s poem ââ¬Å"Siren Song.â⬠When comparing each text, it is found that the Sirens are portrayed as temptresses that trap you with their beautiful, ââ¬Å"honeyed voices.â⬠The tone in the epic poem is bright in the beginning when Homer writes ââ¬Å"Heliosââ¬â¢ burning raysâ⬠and ââ¬Å"the sun at high noon.â⬠As the poem progresses, it takes on an ominous tone that shows Odysseusââ¬â¢ self-control as he ââ¬Å"stop[s] the ears of [his] comrades one by oneâ⬠with beeswax. He also has his men ââ¬Å"[bind him] hand and foot in the tight shipâ⬠¦lashed by ropes to the mast.â⬠These two examples show Odysseus fighting against his desire to listen to the Sirenââ¬â¢s song. When Homer writes ââ¬Å"and the heart inside me throbbed to listen longerâ⬠it shows how very hard it is for Odysseus to ignore the Sirenââ¬â¢s call. In Margaret Atwoodââ¬â¢s poem, the tone that is set is one of bereavement. The three Sirens understand that they are beautiful and that their call is tempting to every man but they consider the song as a ââ¬Å"cry for help.â⬠The Siren that is speaking in ââ¬Å"Siren Songâ⬠refers to her trio as ââ¬Å"fatal and valuable.â⬠Imagery is used in both of the texts to portray the Sirens as beautiful women. For example, from Homerââ¬â¢s first-person point of view, they have ââ¬Å"honeyed [and] ravishing voices,â⬠and from Atwoodââ¬â¢s first-person point of view, the Siren speaks of the trio as ââ¬Å"picturesqueâ⬠and ââ¬Å"mythical.â⬠The Siren that is speaking in Atwoodââ¬â¢s poem refers to her trip as ââ¬Å"feathery maniacs.â⬠The imagery in this poem makes you pick up a subtle tone that the Sirens are like temptresses. They reel in the men with their gorgeous, tricky call even though the men can see the ââ¬Å"beached skullâ⬠which symbolizes their fate of death. Their song may be ââ¬Å"boringâ⬠but, in the Sirenââ¬â¢s words, ââ¬Å"it works every time.ââ¬
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