How Is Deception Used In Siren Song

Deception is known to be a very dangerous and deadly game, especially when it comes to lending assistance to something in need. Margaret Atwood demonstrates this in her poem “Siren Song” with utter thoroughness, and she manages to do so with the use of a particular set of literary methods. Atwood’s primary meaning throughout her poem is that the path of deception will only lead to danger and eventually death. Margaret Atwood’s use of diction and tone along with other literary devices, and even the entire structure of “Siren Song” assist her in conveying the general meaning of the poem itself. In an attempt to show to dangers of deception, Atwood sets the tone of the poem as a plea for assistance, and to do this she also makes the narrator

One literary device she employs with great success is imagery, and an example of this can be seen when the Siren narrating describes the three of them as “looking picturesque and mythical”, which is highly deceptive given the fact that their song is so dangerous by luring those who hear it to their deaths (Atwood 15). When Atwood uses this imagery to portray how beautiful the Sirens are while still managing to be highly dangerous, she again displays the central theme of how deception only leads to danger and death. Margaret Atwood manages to also use is a conflict, which is taking place between the Siren narrator and her current home. This conflict is that she is making it seem like she wants to leave but physically cannot without outside help, but in reality this is a false conflict used to lure in more victims for the Sirens. With the use of a false conflict, Atwood helps further her main meaning by showing the true danger of death behind the deception. These literary devices assist in creating a structure for “Siren Song” that aids even further in conveying the meaning of it. The structure results in being a plea for help that eventually transforms into a perfectly deceptive trap for the unsuspecting reader, which succinctly conveys the overall meaning of “Siren