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Comment 19 of 19, added on May 10th, 2006 at 3:42 PM.
Good poem, it confused me though...
Randa Gill from United States
Comment 18 of 19, added on April 22nd, 2006 at 7:27 PM.
I fell in love with this "sly" poem the first day I saw it in my literature text book. I love how the reader of the poem is convinced into sympathising with the speaker, and is seduced by the promise of hearing her famous song; in the end the reader is betrayed by the siren, who shrugs her shoulders and says "it is a boring song, but it works every time". We can't exactly say we wern't warned- we read on despite the "bleached skulls" in the second stanza.
I was reading a book by Margaret Atwood, The Robber Bride, which had a passage which I thought expanded upon the idea of the poem. The villaness of the book is Zenia, who seduces and then abandons the men of her three friends, effectively destroying them. One charectar wants to know what gives this seductrice such power over men. It must lie, she surmises, in telling the man that he is unique, that only he understands her and can save her. Then Zenia turns the tables and shows them that the opposite is true, that they are nothing special.
This charectar goes through a variety of professions and roles over the course of the book- unlike the speaker of the poem, who is stuck in her bird suit- but you get the sense by the end of the book that she has only one role she is really able to play, and like the sirens she is bored of it.
Ed the Adder from Canada
Comment 17 of 19, added on April 13th, 2006 at 2:36 PM.
I think that the most intriguing comment I have read said that the whole poem is the song of the sirens. This almost makes sense, and yet I have to argue against it. The siren's voice throughout the poem is secretive, alluring, even hopefull ,but at the end she gives up and says "Alas it is a boring song but it works every time." Without this line I would possibly agree that the poem in its entirety addresses a sailor, but this line is her weakness, and it exposes her true vulnrability. If her chivalrous hero were to hear that he had been so cunningly tricked, would he really come and save her? The reader now knows it, and thus realizes just how simple and obvious it is to pull the blinds over the eyes of a male ,and possibly send them to their deaths. (Males, please don't get offended, I'm just going to the extreme with Atwood's social commentary).
Sara from United States
Comment 16 of 19, added on April 9th, 2006 at 8:06 PM.
Well, this poem is very good, otherwise it wouldnt be in the ap lit and comp test, i have to do an essay contrasting its view of the sirens to that of Homer's in the Odyssey, i was looking for something to help me and it did thanks!, the poem is just the view of a bored siren, one looking for adventure, the adventure of those that she seduces with her "boring" song it works everytime, she wants more adventure and thrill in her life, no more "bird suit" for her yay for her!
Paulina from United States
Comment 15 of 19, added on March 29th, 2006 at 12:34 PM.
Poem has obvious feminist undertones which are about the concept of the Male Gaze by Laura Mulvey.
The Siren is the ultimate seductress. She can lure any man who hears her, and lead them to their deaths. On one level, she is an object, that which is gazed upon, and she dislikes it, wants out of this "bird suit"--which can imply colorful, attractive, etc, but since it is a suit, it is all surface and not her true self.
But as much as she wants out of this, she recognizes how powerful and effective a means seduction is in the last stanza. Although "boring" a means, she again becomes a damsel in distress (help me help me) if it can get her what she wants...
In this way, the poem negotiates between the complete rejection of feminine attributes which feminists often see as demeaning and evil, and an acceptance of the fact that seduction is a tool like any other...
Lemon
Comment 14 of 19, added on March 27th, 2006 at 1:37 PM.
I thought this poem really was saying always talk to your mother. because if you dont the siren song will get to you, because your mother wont have your back, homie.
mmmBUR from Canada
Comment 13 of 19, added on March 27th, 2006 at 8:19 AM.
In the copy of the poem on this website, "feathery" is misspelled, just to let you know.
kelsey from United States
Comment 12 of 19, added on March 25th, 2006 at 1:06 PM.
I love this poem. It is so cool
Jen from Azerbaijan
Comment 11 of 19, added on March 13th, 2006 at 3:45 PM.
hey i love your poem! it is really cool/ in a weird kind of way. lol..but i think that it is really good, what made you think about this?? I am doing a english project, and i chose your poem, && i would have never thought about this kind of thing.
Arielle
Arielle from United States
Comment 10 of 19, added on October 23rd, 2005 at 8:48 PM.
this poem is ridiculus because it is weird
Jane from Australia
This poem has been commented on more than 10 times. Click below to see the other comments.
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Good poem, it confused me though...
Randa Gill from United States