Siren Song by Margaret Atwood

Speaker: The poem is told from the perspective of the "siren." Atwood utilizes this perspective to convey the true meaning and purpose of her poem. The "siren" is symbolic of the stereotypes about women. The siren is portrayed as the typical vindictive woman; she is the picture of beauty and the embodiment of perfection, but she is not content. She is depicted as creating a false vulnerability and distress in order to lure men in with the promise that they are different and that only they can save her. Atwood is making a clear statement on society's perception of women: they can only get what they want by playing the "damsel in distress," by luring men with their helplessness only to "trap" them in commitment, a fate synonymous with death. Atwood's satire of society's impression of women is evident in the line "It's a boring song but it works every time." Although the siren laments over the curse of her "picturesque and mythical" beauty, she is only doing so to portray herself as a victim, which in turn will lure unsuspecting men to save her, when in reality she doesn't require saving. Through the speaker, Atwood conveys her discontent with society's conception of the goals of women: to be irresistible and seduce men into commitment by feigning coyness and imprisonment.
There seems to be no particular rhyme scheme in this poem; however, the poem has a song-like rhythm. The line "I will tell the secret to you, to you, only to you" is especially similar to the lines of a song, due to its repetition. This similarity to song contributes to the overall effect of the poem, most simplistically, due to the subject of the poem. This style allows the audience to almost hear the speaker sing these words, making her more substantial and further accomplishing the allusion to the mythical creature.

Literary Devices:

Repetition: "I will tell a secret to you/ to you, only to you...Only you, you can/ you are unique/ at last" Repetition of the word "you" and "only" is crucial in these lines for it emphasizes Atwood's statement, revealing society's belief that women possess an irresistible power over men. It is with the repetition of the word "you" that the "siren," though bored with her routine, is able to capture the man's attention, making him feel special and individual, when in reality he is just another victim to her song, a song which has become a second nature to her due to its own repetition of victimization.

Allusion: In Greek mythology, Sirens are creatures with the heads of females and the body of birds. They lived on an island and possessed the irresistible charm(through song) to lure mariners to their destruction on the rocks surrounding the island. Atwood parallels society's perception of women with the nature of the sirens in order to highlight the negative attitude towards women. The idea that the siren's appearance is merely a facade is demonstrated by the line "...will you get me out of this bird suit?" demonstrating that the freedom implied by the creature's wings is an illusion(perhaps this is referring to fact that women's equality too is an unjust illusion), and therefore they are incapable of saving themselves.

Reaction:
What I really like about this poem is the gradual shift that occurs. The poem begins somewhat tragically, revealing the hardship endured by "...the one song everyone would like to learn: the song that is irresistible..." The poem then highlights the speaker’s “true” feelings about her existence, that it is merely an imprisonment, due to unwanted beauty. Yet, the speaker then states “…come closer…,” and suddenly the reader knows that her lament was only an extension of her deadly craft. The last line: “It is a boring song but it works every time,” is satirical in nature and is somewhat hilarious. It shows the speaker shrugging off her actions, a distinct comment made by Atwood about the negative opinion of women.