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.
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
In Margaret Atwood’s poem, “Siren Song” she says, “Come closer. This song is a cry for help: Help me! Only you, only you can, you are unique” (21-24). This part of the poem shows the siren trying to seduce the man or audience. Romare Bearden’s artwork, “The Sirens’ Song”, also show the sirens being seductive and this is seen by the more pose attracting pose they are doing.
The only men who can escape this “spell” are the men who have no passion in their heart and these words will not effect them. A good example of a woman who represents power by her beauty is Queen Guinevere. Both authors, Marie de France and Chretien de Troyes
“The Odyssey” Essay In Homer's “The Odyssey”, Book 12 the Sirens are tempting and dangerous creatures. They use songs and their beautiful voices to lore the victims. They use men's lust and ignorance to get what they desire. In Book 12, Odysseus and his men are sailing, then they cross the Sirens.
In the “Odyssey”, Homer introduces the expedition Odysseus goes through to return to his native land. At one point he and his comrades must take the path that leads them to the island of the Sirens. The notorious sirens sing their sickeningly sweet tune to entice men to their eradication. Poet Atwood depicts the sirens in a calamitous facet. Both Homer and Atwood convey the idea that the Sirens pose a detrimental role through the application of imagery and diction.
Which sets him apart from the Sirens by building up his name. Yet, “Siren Song” by Atwood has a melancholic to seductive tone throughout the piece. An example of this is when the Siren says, "I don't enjoy it here-squatting on this island" (Atwood 13-14). The reader is intended to feel remorse for her. This sets a melancholy or sad tone.
Sirens are devious creatures found in Greek mythology and The Odyssey. There are many depictions of them with different traits, but none are more well-known than the Sirens from "Siren Song" and The Odyssey. The sirens in "Siren Song" are portrayed to be smarter by being more manipulative and calmer. The Sirens in "Siren Song" are shown to be smarter than the Sirens in The Odyssey by being more manipulative. The Sirens in this poem make the hero feel special and convince them that only they can save the sirens and listen to their song which is said to "Work every time,"(Atwood 27), while the Sirens from The Odyssey are not as convincing, only yelling at people to listen to their songs.
The purpose of this parallel theme in common is to draw attention to Penelope’s struggles in the time of the Odyssey, which helps the responders to empathize with Penelope during her times of weeping, and distress. Hence Atwood’s modern perspective benefitting contemporary readers to enjoy the concepts and
Women have always been portrayed as the weaker sex compared to men. It has been demonstrated in history itself and throughout literary works. Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Homer’s The Odyssey, however, portray women to be more powerful than men, even when their society thought otherwise and underestimated them because of their gender. Lady Macbeth, The Three Witches, Queen Arête and Penelope demonstrate the astute, charming, and ambitious side of women that was overlooked by men when it came to having power and making decisions.
The woman warns him, “Do not be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within.” The prince, however, remains unconvinced and orders her away a second time. It is then that the woman transforms herself into a lovely enchantress and as punishment turns the prince into a monstrous beast. Beauty and the Beast is a story in which the central theme is appearance: it opens with the prince’s failure to look past an exterior and ends with Belle’s success at looking through the exterior. Similarly, in The Odyssey, appearance plays a large role.
Sirens are seen as inhumane monsters who only want to seduce men. For example, Circe said, “The Sirens who sit there in their meadow will seduce him with piercing songs” (12.43-45). In this quote, Circe is warning Odysseus that when he tries to sail past the waters, the sirens will try and lure the men in. Magical creatures or goddesses' power is villainized, and are always portrayed in a dark light. Circe’s power is to lure men into her island and turn them into pigs, which is displayed as manipulative seduction.
She then cut off her nose and arms in order to please the rest of society. Only at her funeral did people finally say she was pretty. As shown in this poem, the criticism placed on women in our society is a continuously growing problem today. By using imagery, symbolism, and diction, Piercy demonstrates the high standards placed on girls at a very young age. Imagery is very prominent in this poem.
However, this ‘beauty’ comes from the clothing and the societal class she appears to belong in. Clothing that is flattering is seen as vital to a woman’s success; while for men it is to display success and high status (i.e prince of the kingdom). The transformation of Cinderella going from rags and low class to riches and royalty is seen as ‘beauty’ because she is doing everything expected of her— keeping her physical appearance and having the ‘natural’ dependency on a male to save her from her slave-like lifestyle. All which, according to Maity, is a “socially constructed notion that physical attractiveness is one of women’s most important assets, and something all women should strive to achieve and maintain” (3). Cinderella goes from rags to riches all just for going to a ball, wearing a sparkly dress, and being pretty.
Sirens: How they are used as an allusion in modern poems The idea of Sirens are alluded to in the poems “Carolina” and “Sirens Song” as intoxicating and distasteful. Eric Church stated, “Sayin’ honey I miss ya like crazy,/ Like the sound of a siren song” in “Carolina” (Church). The idea of the siren song serves as a comparison between the yearning to get home to his significant other and the yearning to swim ashore to the Sirens in Homer’s Odyssey.
