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Terrecotta And Bronze Statue Of The Sirens In Homer's Odyssey

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In simple words, the Metropolitan Museum of Art was beyond fabulous. I was shocked to see so many artifacts kept to this day. It was a all hay experience filled with wonders and intrigues. So many pieces of art are related to the books we read so far. I came across such extraordinary pieces such as various libation bowls; bronze statue of Poseidon; theatrical masks; and marble heads of Medea, Socrates and Homer. The most fascinating artifacts were the terrecotta and bronze statuettes of Sirens. The terrecotta statuette siren displayed the Ancient Greek culture. The Sirens are mythical creatures known famous for their seductive song. They usually reside on a island in the middle of the sea. They are monstrous women that lure sailors(men) to their deaths with their voices. Their songs are so melodious that the sailors traveling on the sea cannot resist listening to them and would make them forget their sense of journey. Sailors would become so distracted that they would either jump into the water or steer and crash their ship on a rocky coastline. In both cases death is inevitable. …show more content…

At first he was curious to hear what the Sirens would sing to him and together with Circe’s advice, he was able to hear and sail right through them. Odysseus being tied to the ship’s mast the sailors ears(except Odysseus) being plugged with beeswax, helped him hear the song and prevented his companions from sailing

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Homer’s Odyssey, a Greek epic poem, introduces mythological creatures, like the sirens, to an audience that becomes highly influenced and mesmerized by these creatures that it inspired new piece of literature. For example, Margaret Atwood dedicates a whole poem to the sirens, which is the first mentioned in The Odyssey as creatures that lures sailors to their death, but ,unlike the Odyssey, it is written in the point of view of the sirens. Even though the depiction of the sirens are distinct and told in different point of view, both pieces of writing, Homer’s Odyssey and Atwood’s “ Siren Song”, have similar elements of cleverness. Homer describes Odysseus as wise, which is a characteristic needs to help the crew escape disasters and deaths.

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they both are trying to get back home but they come up to a shooting obstacle. in The Odyssey they made high pitched noises. So they tied Odysseus around the pole. So he wouldn't jump off the boat.” Keep well to seaward; play your oarsman's ears with beeswax kneaded soft; none of the rest should hear that song.

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The Odyssey written by Homer and the Siren Song, by Margaret Atwood both use imagery, symbolism, different tones and different point of view to depict Sirens. The Odyssey surrounds a man who hears the Sirens song, but uses different tactics to survive it, although the Siren Song is written as if the written is a siren trying to prey on the readers. The difference of narrators tells the story of the Sirens in two very different

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In The Odyssey, Homer uses Odysseus’ point of view to describe the way the Sirens sing. According to Odysseus, the Sirens “burst into their high, thrilling song.” Odysseus portrays the Sirens as horrible, undesirable singers which reveals to the readers that Odysseus and his men do not appreciate the usage of their singing. Curious Odysseus decides to listen to their song anyways. Despite their appearance, the Sirens manages to lure Odysseus under their spell so that “the heart inside [him] throbbed to listen longer.”

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Odysseus’s wisdom can be seen when he, “carved a massive cake of beeswax into bits… I carried the wax along the line and laid it thick in their ears”(Homer 1234). This act of protection for his crew is a sign of wisdom. Circe warned him of the sirens’ song and not to listen to them or they will go insane. Odysseus uses his wisdom by listening and heeding her warning, as well taking her advice by putting the beeswax in his crews ears. One might recall that Odysseus often lost his wisdom when he became too prideful to listen to anyone.

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Odysseus was warned by Circe that the sirens were a deadly force to sailors. She explained to him that their song is so beautiful that men lose their minds. When hearing this, instead of avoiding the sirens and keeping himself and his men from harm, Odysseus decided that he had to hear their song for himself. Circe explained to him the way that he could keep his crew from hearing the sirens. She said that he can place thick beeswax in the men’s ears and have them tie Odysseus up tight.

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As Odysseus begins his journey home, he has a large crew of men which he influences to help him do tasks. As they travel they end up needing to go through the Sirens. When they do Odysseus tells his men, “you are to tie me up, tight as a splint,/ erect along the mast, lashed to the mast,/ and if I shout to be untied,/ take more turns of the rope to muffle me” (Homer 1005,

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He encounters Circe, has one last night with her, and she describes the future obstacles while on his journey home. Odysseus was right to pass this information along to his crew so they may be able to know what to expect. When the boat arrives near the island of the Sirens, Odysseus tells his men to fill their ears with beeswax and have him bound to the mast of the ship so he could listen to the sirens’ sweet singing. Whenever Odysseus begged to set loose, his crew would tighten the ropes. This was a clever yet dangerous set-up.

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In The Odyssey, Homer portrays the sirens as wicked temptresses. In Margaret Atwood’s “Siren Song”, she helps readers understand that the sirens don’t enjoy their duties of luring sailors to their deaths. Homer expresses how Odysseus’ strong urge to break free from the ropes holding him back and find the source of the voice he hears is hypnotic and evil. In the poem, the sirens tell him to “Come closer, famous Odysseus- Achaea’s pride and glory- moor your ship on our coast so you can hear our song” (Homer, 12.200-201). In The Odyssey, the sirens’ approach is to feed into his ego in an attempt to lure him and his crew to their deaths.

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Given the leader he is, when Odysseus and his men encountered the sirens, his men were quick to follow his instructions with diligence. Homer writes, “Sirens weakening a haunting song over the sea we are to shun”(690-691). The sirens sing a songs to lure sailors to their death. Homer writes, “I alone should listen to their song”(693-694). Odysseus knowing what the sirens purpose and having prior knowledge of the things the sirens would say to him.

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12. 116-122). In this quote, Odysseus plugs his men’s ears so they cannot hear the Sirens singing. If his men were to hear the Sirens singing, they would jump into the water and be eaten alive. However, the Sirens' singing is beautiful and passionate. So, Odysseus ordered his men to tie him to the ship’s mast so he could listen, simply for pleasure.

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They tied me up, then, plumb amidships, back to the mast, lashed to the mast, and took themselves again to rowing. ”(744-748). Here even though Odysseus was instructed to plug his men’s ears with beeswax and has them bind him to the mast of the ship from Circe, the devastatingly beautiful goddess-enchantress that turns Odysseus's men into pigs, seduces him it was still his decision to go along with it, which led to him and his men from falling to their doom. Odyssey even while trying to resist the Sirens beautiful singing got himself and his men past the Sirens successfully. In conclusion,

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The Odyssey and the poem "Siren Song" both portray sirens ;however, in The Odyssey, the focus is on resolving the "problem" of the sirens, no differently than any other obstacle on his journey, whereas "Siren Song" focuses on the siren as more than merely an obstacle. They share, however, the preying of the siren upon hubris and the desire to be special, as well as, by what happens, illustrating the allure of the sirens in the spite of the pain that may be suffered to get there. The Odyssey initially describes the actions of Odysseus much more than the sirens. The beginning discussion does describe the sirens at all;it merely states that they were approaching the island of the sirens, and then for the first ten lines it does not even begin to consider the sirens.

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The Odyssey, one of the oldest texts known to mankind, has made a permanent mark in the heart of Greek art and literature forever. The Odyssey is known as the story of a long forgotten king, Odysseus, exploring the seas, going on his long quest to make his way back to his homeland. One grand encounter Odysseus faces are the mythical creatures known as the sirens. The sirens are notorious for the beautiful song they sing, but this song leaves a deceiving effect on anyone who hears the words, and anyone who’s heard the song has either been killed or does not remember. The only way Odysseus could return home is if he sailed passed the sirens.

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