Siren Song Poem Analysis

The poem “Siren Song” is able to depict the sirens using a persuasive and taunting tone. The first six stanzas of the poem have a taunting tone. The siren is explaining to the reader that “anyone who has heard it [the song] is dead, and the others can’t remember.” The sirens are attempting to persuade the reader to do as they say, but at the same time telling them that they will end up dead. This is taunting the reader by telling them the negative things to come. A shift of tone occurs for the seventh stanza. The siren is addressing the reader and saying, “I will tell the secret to you, to you, and only to you… you are unique.” This changes the poem from being taunting to persuasive because it makes it personal. It now becomes about “you,”

or the reader. The siren saying “you are unique” makes the reader feel special and likely to be persuaded by the sirens. Atwood then ends the poem with the siren saying, “Alas it is a boring song but it works every time.” This is significant because the siren is acting like a damsel in distress, while in reality they are telling the reader what they want to hear in order to persuade them.